Kentish Cottage
by Tess 4 5
Summary: Note book scribblings: A call from Lynley diverts his Sergeant who was on her way to New Scotland Yard. The weather is brilliant but she is not exactly happy that she has to stay away from home, especially not on the coming Sunday. Will the following days be filled with another case after they have not even finished the paperworks on the one they just have solved?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of the original characters nor the original Inspector Lynley Mysteries – they belong to Elizabeth George and the BBC. I have borrowed the characters from the TV-Show and only own the ideas of _my_ stories.

Please write a **P** rivate **M** essage if you find any mistakes. Thanks!

Please read and review! More thanks!

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 **Author's note and summary:** I'm still tidying up my note book. This is one of the scribblings. It almost had moulded in my notepad with a different title and 1066 words for years. As far as I remember it's older than the Emerald Series. I'm going to finish it now...

A call from Lynley diverts his Sergeant who was on her way to New Scotland Yard. The weather is brilliant but she is not exactly happy that she has to stay away from home, especially not on the coming Sunday. Will the following days be filled with another case after they have not even finished the paperworks on the one they just have solved?

Enjoy...

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 **Kentish Cottage**

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They sat on the sofa and watched TV after dinner. Their boys still were with their grand parents and it promised to become a quiet and romantic evening despite the rush of the day.

"Ah... It really wasn't _that_ urgent. They didn't have to order me back home, keeping me from spending a nice weekend with my wife." Simon St James muttered.

"Who knows what it was good for." his wife wistfully said.

"You could have stayed."

"Nah..." Deborah was grinning now. "Give them a bit of privacy."

"Privacy? Hmm... What do you think these two are doing at the moment?" Simon asked and wondered aloud that due to the tension he had sensed and the constant bickering between _these two_ he hoped they would not have killed each other by now.

Deborah laughed out loud. "On the contrary, darling. I hope..." she answered and scooted closer to her husband. "...that right at the moment they're doing something like this."

With that she put her arms around Simon's chest and tenderly caressed his neck with her lips. He enjoyed it immensely and had to close his eyes but after a while her words had sunken in completely and he held her a bit away from him so he could look into Deb's eyes. He was confused. "No...! You mean...? But they're just good..."

"...friends? Bollocks." Her eyes twinkled mischievously while she shook her head in disbelief about her husband's ignorance. "Oh, you men are all the same - as blind as a mole. I guess they're glad to be alone. Finally."

Deborah laughed again and moved closer to his ear. Seductively whispering she suggested more of the things these two friends they had left behind in that Kentish cottage might be doing right now.

It made Simon blush.

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	2. Chapter 2

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 **One day ago...**

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DS Barbara Havers was just about to nastily curse the driver in the car in front of her when her mobile played _Rule Britannia_.

"Oh, brilliant." she mumbled. Since she finally had bought herself a new smartphone she knew who was calling without looking at the caller ID. "Yah, sorry, Sir. Look, I know I'm late but I'm stuck in traffic since I-"

"Havers!" sharply DI Tommy Lynley cut her short.

"What?!" Barbara jammed on the brakes and muttered under her breath where that bloody idiot of a dumb bloke in his posh oversized dung cart might have bought his fucking driver licence.

On the other side of the line her boss failed at suppressing a laugh. "Where are you, drayman Havers?"

"Haha - that's not funny, Sir!" She almost crashed into the left side of a lorry while trying to overtake the snail in front of her who never caught up with the car in front of him and had let two more cars fill that gap already. "Oh, bloody trucker... And as I told you, I'm on my way. I am driving! At least that's what I'm trying here."

"Yes, but where are you exactly?"

"Only ten minutes from home. There must have been an accident or some road is closed so they all-"

"Don't bother. Just turn, Barbara, and get back home, pack some things for an overnight stay-"

Barbara moaned in annoyance. Another bloody case out of London and her flat looked like after a tornado and she had hoped for a calm weekend at home. "How long?"

"Three, probably four nights."

 _That includes my birthday._ Barbara thought with rising anger and only grunted a very disapproving answer. They just had solved one case and should have wrapped up the paperwork today. _I should have asked earlier for some days off._

"Don't grumble." Lynley said into the silence. "It surely will be nice. Pack some light stuff. The weather forecast said it'll be sunny and warm. I'll pick you up at your flat in one hour. Oh, and Barbara? Drive carefully and please try to cheer up a bit until then!"

"Ha!"

When she rang off and left the main road to turn back home she realised that, filled with annoyance, she had not even asked where this new case would be.

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	3. Chapter 3

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When his significant hooting was heard Barbara had been ready for ten minutes. Her bag stood waiting at the door already and she was sipping on a coffee from a thermos mug, watching kids in their uniforms going by at her window on the backside of the house.

Now she grabbed her keys, her bag and her Wellies and hurried outside. Lynley had parked backwards in the driveway and already waited for her at the open car boot.

"Good morning, Barbara."

"Morning, Sir. Where are we going?"

"Kent. And I don't think you'll need your Wellies there."

"I'm not going inside again, Sir." She tossed the gumboots next to two expensive looking bags. Barbara raised an eyebrow. "What have you planned? Are we going to stay four weeks?"

"No, not really. Why?" Tommy laughed. Then his eyes followed her frown. "Oh, you mean that! That's Simon's bag."

"Huh? Simon? St James?" Barbara gave him a quizzical expression.

"Yes. He'll come with us. And Deb's already there."

Her eyes narrowed. "What _is_ this, Sir? And where is 'there'? I thought we're going to investigate something somewhere out of London?!"

"I never said that." Lynley closed the boot and gestured her towards the front of the car. "And this is an abduction."

"That's highly illegal." she snorted.

"Maybe I'm a bad boy?" He broadly grinned at her and a shower of goosepimples ran down Barbara's spine. Usually she hated surprises but this one and the way he was looking when he presented it to her was rather exciting.

"Hello Simon." she said with a cheery voice when she sat down in the front passenger seat. Behind her the door was closed by her boss and he went around the front in huge strides followed by her eyes. There was a certain inexplicable spring in his walk. Barbara snickered.

"Barbara! Nice to see you! Good morning." As a greeting Lynley's best friend patted her shoulder from behind.

"Why are you sitting in the back, Simon? I don't have to-"

"No, no, no! Stay! The passenger seat belongs to you, Barbara." Simon laughed droning. "I'd never dare take it from you."

A rosy blush krept across Barbara's face. Lynley gave her a slightly excited smile while he fastened his seatbelt. "Seatbelt, Havers."

She only groaned and rolled her eyes. Simon chuckled. These two in the front seats were well known for their constant bickering. He did not think they would ever stop that.

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For half an hour they drove through London's rush-hour traffic and the conversation was almost only between Barbara and Simon. They exchanged the usual pleasantries and updated each other because they had not met for quite some time. There was a busy time lying behind both, with a tricky case and loads of work for everyone.

Eventually they reached the motorway heading east.

"Okay, Sir, why don't you finally enlighten me?" Barbara addressed her boss.

Simon in the back had to chuckle again. "Yes, _Sir_ , it's about time."

"Don't mock me, Simon!" she pouted.

"Then stop calling him Sir, Havers! We're all friends." Although she felt her face blushing she cautiously joined in to his laughter.

"He's right..." Lynley quietly said and gave her a warm smile.

Barbara shook her head and answered with just an inarticulate grunt.

"Oh, I thought I'm your friend..." he said with an amused twinkle in his eyes.

"You are!" she firmly said and added almost regretting "And you're my boss."

"Not after work."

"Mh."

For a while Simon watched the persons in front of him intently staring out of the front window. He waited for Barbara to finally say his friend's given name. Instead she only asked again where they were headed for. Simon chuckled and looked out of his window where the landscape was flying by.

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"We're driving to Kent." Tommy explained.

"I already know that." Barbara pointed at one of the blue signs announcing the distance to a well known Kentish town. "Give me details."

"It's a small village at the Thames Estuary. Or is it the North Sea already? Ah, I don't know. Anyway, Deb and Simon have a cottage there. The weather is fine and we all could do with a few days away from the city's cesspool, couldn't we?"

Barbara just raised an eyebrow again. Then Simon chimed in.

"Deb's already there. She had suggested we'd spend a few nice days together. Without the kids, without work, without any case-"

"I have loads of paperwork to do." Barbara sighed.

"No, you haven't." Lynley told her.

"Aha?"

"It's my surprise for you: a few days off for a long weekend." His smile was almost triumphant.

"Aha?"

"Winston owed me a favour. He's responsible for the files."

"And what if I had other plans, Sir?"

"Oh, you haven't." There was an amused smile on his face and still a bit of triumph that annoyed Barbara. It even made her angry and Tommy caught the expression on her face. He turned anxious. "Oh, but you haven't, have you? You've constantly told me you'd planned to stay at home this weekend, wanting to be a lazy frog. Please don't say that you've changed your-"

"I haven't." She really had no other plans for this weekend but catching up with paperwork at the office, tidying up her flat and then relaxing for two days. Nonetheless Barbara shot Tommy a deathly glare. Who was he to have her time off at his disposal. "Eyes on the road, Sir." she quietly reminded him that he was driving when he kept staring at his passenger for too long.

Ruefully he diverted his eyes away from her face.

Deep inside he knew they would have a conversation later when they would be alone although it was not exactly what he had planned.

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 **A/N:** I'm not going to post the next chapters regularly!


	4. Chapter 4

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The house where they parked the car looked like almost all the other houses in the neighbourhood of that village and surely was very old but it had a nice appeal and apart from a modern extension to the right with a garage it was symmetrical with a pointed roof. Standing a bit offside from the other houses at the end of the lane it was made of red bricks and white-lacquered wood and there was one or the other modern detail attached. Behind a wooden fence to the left, which was the west side, it had a garden and there only was a small patch of green at its front, surrounded by one of these typical iron fences.

"Deb?" Simon called into the silent house after he had unlocked the door and they had tossed their bags next to the stairs. "Deborah, we're here! Darling, where are you?"

"Coming!" A voice was heard from upstairs.

"Sir, this is all but a 'cottage'. This is a manor." Barbara quietly said to Tommy.

He laughed. "Ah, it's just a tad bigger than a cottage, but I wouldn't call it-"

"Simon! Tommy!" Deborah exclaimed when she came running down the stairs. "And Barbara! Oh, it's so wonderful you came here too."

"Well, I had no choice, To- oomph!" Tommy almost was about to pull Deborah away from Barbara. She had been pulled into such a hefty hug that it robbed her breath but he knew she accidentally had been about to finally say his name. Seconds later he had Deborah's lips on his cheek and then she hugged and kissed her husband so dearly that he had to look away.

"Hello, Deborah." Tommy said hanging his summer coat onto the hook and helped Barbara off with her jacket. She felt awkward, of that he was sure, and so he made the decision that this would be the last awkward moment for her this weekend. Knowing her for such a long time he expected it to become a hard thing.

"Come, I'll give you a tour." Being positively excited Simon's wife offered. "Or would you all rather have a refreshment first?"

"We come from London, Deborah, not from Inverness." Lynley chuckled.

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Deborah opened one of the doors downstairs. "Here's the study, or smoking lounge. If it rains again and our guests need a fag."

"I don't smoke anymore." Barbara's indignant remark made Deborah laugh.

"I know, Barbara, we haven't met _that_ long ago."

"And fortunately the weather forecast had announced sunshine." Simon added.

Inside of the room facing the street there was a desk, a settee, several boards and a TV with a gaming console. In one corner there were two boxes brimming over with toys.

"The kids often play here." Simon explained. "Fortunately we don't have that many guests wanting to smoke inside."

His wife moved further into the house. They came into a huge area with obviously removed walls and, although looking northward, a lot of light coming through big windows facing the waterfront somewhere in the distance. To the left there was an inviting corner sofa and armchairs around a coffee table. In the middle of the area there were windows from floor to ceiling and a big door leading to a conservatory that divided the huge veranda into three parts. On the right side inside was the dining area with a huge oakwood table and in the wall opposite to the huge windows was a service hatch and the door to the kitchen.

"And what's the most joy for the kids..." Grinning Simon opened another door in the kitchen. "You can run around the staircase."

"It's wonderful." Barbara marvelled.

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"Wait until you see what's upstairs!" Tommy winked. He placed a hand in the small of Barbara's back and let her follow Deborah. Barbara briefly checked his face but it was stoic. She hoped hers would be too because this gesture always made her shiver in delight. It was one of the nice touches her boss pleased her with from time to time. His arm around her shoulder only happened when they were alone. Her knees went weak every time he did it. His guiding hand in her back now made her even miss a few heartbeats but she shook her head trying to get rid of the pleasant feeling.

Tommy had grabbed both of their bags. He had been a real gentleman recently, Barbara thought watching him. Although it also was a bit painful since he surely only meant it in a friendly way, she really could get used to that.

All together they ascended the wooden stair covered with a thick carpet. On the top landing they reached another open space with a huge door to a rather big balcony. There was a small bar and a comfortable looking lounge corner. Outside a table stood in a circle of four chairs. One deck chair stood in the other corner and there was even enough space left for several people moving around. It was the balcony on top of the conservatory looking northward and providing a great view across the landscape.

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"Wow!" Barbara marvelled again. "What a... view!" She blushed because when she had turned to speak to Lynley she had found him standing right behind her so she bumped into his chest with her shoulder and quickly diverted her eyes back out of the window Deborah was just opening.

"The Thames Estuary!" she announced. "Well, or at least at high tide. Over there in the distance. This here is just marshland, fortunately under conservation. Nobody is allowed to go there because birds are nesting here. It's not the well known marshland further up the Thames but it's the village's small part in environmental protection, good for coast and nature."

Barbara pointed at a small path. "And that's your little way to circumvent the law?"

"That's our private path." Simon explained laughing. "It's there for as long as this house stands here. Dating back to when nature protection wasn't really a thing."

"How old is it?"

"Several decades. It dates back into the early 19th century."

"You lot and your old piles." Barbara laughed. "But it's lovely. Well, it's more than lovely."

"Come on, you have to see all of it."

Keeping the door open they went on with their tour. To the right side was a door with a cute room for the sons. It was above the garage and had a slope ceiling and only windows to the front and the back. Compared with the other rooms it was rather dark but it looked cosy.

"This is our sons' cave. They love it and wouldn't want to have any other room." Simon explained. Then he sighed. "It's a shame we're not here more often as long as they're so young. But now that Harry is attending school..."

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Another door led to a huge bedroom with an ensuite to the front of the house. It obviously was Simon's and Deborah's because the bed was not made and it looked inhabited already. On the left side was another bedroom, smaller and, as Lynley mentioned, with just a shower in the ensuite. "And not their unmentionably huge tub."

Deborah giggled when Simon pulled her close into his side with a lascivious smile. Tommy grinned. "But they have to share their bathroom with Harry and Thomas when I'm here."

There was a kingsize bed and Barbara realised that there were no other doors on this level of the house. She swallowed when Lynley dropped both bags inside of the room but after he only had opened the windows he picked hers up again and she hoped that her blush was not seen. Inwardly she was so angry with herself to even _think_ that she had to share a room with her boss.

"And now..." Deborah already was up two steps of the narrow staircase on the front side of the house. "The attic."

"Ah." Barbara remarked playfully sarcastic. "The Seargant sleeps under the roof."

"Oh, just wait until you get there."

"Well, this here is mine, but we could trade rooms if you wish." Tommy offered mischievously grinning.

"You're a devil, Tommy!" Simon laughed. He was not following them. "Okay, I'll leave that steep staircase to you and go make some tea. And don't respond to Tommy's offer, Barbara! He's mean!"

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The tiny top landing of this second stair was really dark because there were no windows but just a small lamp illuminating a wooden door with an antique black iron latch. Deborah stepped close to the wall to let Barbara pass.

"You go in first. That's _your_ little realm."

Curious Barbara opened the door and found herself in what felt like a small corridor. To the left there was another wooden door and the corridor extended five feet to the right. The space opened to the left and right pitches of the roof. A few beams had to be left but they looked lovely ancient and only accentuated the construction. To the seafront the complete wall was removed and replaced by huge window panes. Even in the gable there was a window. Words failed her when Barbara stepped into the light flooded room. Although the main windows faced north it was all but dark inside the attic. A beige carpet covered the floor, the walls were painted white and the furniture was of light colours too.

To her right was a kingsized bed facing towards the Thames' marshland. A pale brown bedspread covered it. Above the bed there was a roof window in the gable and Barbara wondered if she would be able to see the stars in the night when she laid there. The wall at the bed's headboard only was half as high as the room and next to the bed was a ladder leading to an alcove. Cushions were seen lying stacked at the right side and there surely was a nice lounge and snuggle area. A small table and two armchairs near the window front completed the perfection of the room.

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Barbara was totally enthralled.

"Wooow." she breathed. "That's... marvellous!"

Suddenly lips almost touched her auricle and sent shivers down her back. "Still want to trade rooms?"

"Never!" That was ardent. Then she looked around in confusion. "But... aren't there any wardrobes? Or cabinets?"

Without saying a word Deborah pulled at a hidden grip plate in the wall to the left and Barbara could not stop wondering. The wooden panels were in fact the folding doors to a wardrobe perfectly fitting into the pitches. "There are more in that corridor but there's just a rather dusty storage space behind it."

"And...?" Confused Barbara looked around.

"Your bathroom? It's facing the lane. On the side of the house where the other bathrooms are, too. It's a bit quirky, due to the roof and the space that was left up here."

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Indeed it was quirky. On the right side to the door there was just a toilet, at the front there was a small sink. The window above it was opaque like the other window that were facing the street front up here, except for the small one in the middle. The bathroom was along that side of the house and rather stretched but when she went around what she suspected to be the walls of the staircase it opened and had a ball-and-claw bathtub diagonally placed in one corner of the room under the slope ceiling, a shower in the other corner and a second but bigger sink.

"Oh, gosh, that's perfect!" Barbara exclaimed.

"You'll have to share this with me." Tommy laughed pointing with his chin towards the bathtub. Only when he saw Barbara's red face and her widened eyes he realised what he had said and quickly added that he will lock the door of course. It did not exactly set things right and so he was unable to prevent himself from blushing too.

Deborah had to hide her grin opening another hidden cabinet in one of the walls when a whistle was heard from downstairs.

"Tea's ready." Simon almost could not be heard here. It was a haven of tranquility.

She might have been surprised with this unexpected holiday trip but Barbara looked forward to a nice long soak in that tub.

With or without her boss.

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	5. Chapter 5

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It was such a pleasant day. The sun was shining but it was not too warm and everybody who could would probably set their tables outside. After a cup of tea the London visitors had unpacked their stuff and since Deborah and Simon still were in their room Barbara suggested to Tommy to take a stroll through the village.

"We're going for a walk." Tommy called up the stairs without answering her first. "Probably stay out for lunch. Is that okay?"

The question was both for the friends and for Barbara. She nodded while Deb called down to them that it was allright.

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With no clear destination Barbara and Tommy walked slightly uphill towards the main road awkwardly talking about their latest case. Barbara had the feeling that her boss was interested in that topic as much as she was - and that meant: not the slightest. Unfortunately she found nothing else to talk about and she still was fighting with herself if she should thank him for the days off and that he had whisked her away from London or if she should be angry with him. In the end she decided to just ignore her inner debate and enjoy the day. It probably was the best.

On the main road there were all kinds of shops; cheap souvenir shops, a stationary store, the odd supermarket, the delis, the kebap shops and of course the unavoidable Poundland and a family amusement with its cacophonic sounds blaring onto the boardwalk. Two old fashioned pubs and a tourist information pavillion on the market place completed the appearance of the village that formerly had been a sea resort in better days. It was bigger than Barbara first thought but finally they found a way to the shore where there was a sandy beach divided by wooden groynes. Signs told them not to feed the seagulls because they were vicious, other signs gave safety rules how to behave in and out of the water or that every öyster ***** that was found here belonged to _Matlock and sons_. Barbara chuckled about the latter but when they reached a concrete slip top where, still in the distance, the Thames' North Sea part was slowly rolling in for high tide they found a seafood snack bar with a weather-worn sign saying ' _Matlock & sons_'. It was just around lunch time.

"Look, they have fresh öysters!" Tommy exclaimed. "Did you ever?"

"If I ever ate those slimy, salty, barely dead jelly blobs?" Barbara made a disgusted sound that made him laugh out loud. "On ice? With a dash of lemon juice and a twig of parsley just for the looks? No way! Apart from the fact that they seldomly sell them within reach of my purse."

He chuckled and sniffled. "Hmmm. I can smell that they have them baked." Putting on his reading glasses Tommy studied the salt crusted menu on the outer wall of the shed. "With herbed butter." he read aloud. "And they're rather cheap."

But Barbara shook her head again. "No, thanks. I'll stick to fish'n'chips."

"Oh, please. It's my treat anyway. Don't bother the costs. They're delicious!" Tommy grabbed Barbara's hand and dragged her into the bar that looked more like an old fisherman's shed. She was too surprised to feel embarrassed. It was not even awkward inside where he kept hold onto her hand for as long as he needed to convince the girl behind the counter to give one baked öyster for Barbara to taste.

"Hmmm!" Although she had to let go of her boss' hand her features lit up. The öyster was so delicious she agreed to have half a dozen with a portion of thin long chips. She even had a plastic cup of white wine along with it but insisted on eating outside.

They sat on one of those wooden double benches with a table attached in the middle and enjoyed the warmth of the sun while they ate in silence. Two toddlers played in the soft sand a few yards away while their mothers watched over them and sipped at some soft drinks talking animatedly. On the wooden beams of the groynes teenagers were sitting, smoking and talking big, most certainly wagging school. Seagulls were crying reproachfully and sitting there on the shed's roof they waited for the right moment to dart their beaks into the paper plates between Barbara and Tommy but they took care and shared their meals only with each other.

"Shall we?" he eventually asked when all was eaten. Barbara only nodded in return. She secretly wrapped two matching halves of her empty öyster shells into a paper napkin and with a conspiratorial grin she let it slip into her pocket. "Don't get caught!" Tommy murmured winking his eyes.

They had had a delicious lunch and after a few more moments with wine, an enjoyable silence and several contented shared smiles they got up and walked down a road that was leading them deeper into the old part of the village.

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The older part had narrow streets near the shoreline of the Thames Estuary where the small houses were even older than Simon and Deb's house and where the rents probably were higher than where Barbara lived in London. Window boxes stood in rich colours. A few small shops with arts and crafts invited to buy things you never needed but suddenly wished to own. Tommy purchased a little red note book with 'Tommy's Brand Coffee' written on it in one of the stuff stores.

At one corner of another street there was a quirky antiques shop with a white front where the paint was discretely flaking away from wooden beams. Barbara was delighted by the look of it. Its slightly rotten cuteness almost dragged her inside and she was so excited when the little doorbell tinkled at her entrance that Tommy could not help but sigh with delight. Inside they could find everything. On shelves and in glass vitrines there were tiny pieces of jewellery and rolled up old school maps as well as old dolls, porcellain that had seen the times of Queen Victoria and tin boxes of all sizes. Some books had a thin cover of dust, some vinyl records were shiny new from the sixties.

They carefully moved around in the narrow paths between all the stuff and finally Barbara found an old book written by Agatha Christie that was signed by the author herself. When she paid at the pre-war cashier the old lady, who had watched them closely while they had walked around, almost went out of her way to be polite. But Barbara could feel the woman meant it by heart. Before she knew it she was captured in a sales pitch and so she also bought a bookmark with roses on it that once surely had been property of Margaret Rutherford, the old lady knew to tell.

Tommy stood next to them and almost only smiled and nodded where it was required but then the old shop owner, who most certainly had lived in the times of King Edward, was trying to sell Tommy a necklace with a small pearl and gem stone pendant. She gave a few hints that made Barbara blush and pretend to be interested in the little tin soldier army in the glass vitrine at the entrance. The two London detectives almost had no chance to get out of the shop for quite a while.

When she finally was stepping out into the sun Barbara was suppressing a laugh. She snickered while inside Tommy still was loudly trying to convince the shop owner that he really had to leave now "...and follow my lady".

"Phew!" he made a gesture as if he was wiping the sweat from his forehead but he broadly grinned stepping up next to Barbara.

"Oh gosh, now, that was an experience!" Barbara laughed when she was sure to be out of ear shot. "And she thought you were my husband."

"Well, you haven't set that right, have you?" His smile was uninterpretable.

Barbara blushed. "I just thought we'd be out there in a second." she quietly explained. "I didn't think she'd try to talk you into buying me jewellery. I just wanted to buy that book and that's it. And now I even have a bookmark. From Margaret Rutherford."

They walked past a few houses in silence.

"Is it so unthinkable?" Tommy asked a few moments later.

"It surely is from one of the stuff stores around here." At first Barbara snorted amused but when she recognised from the look he gave her that he was not meaning her purchase but was picking up the other thread again it shocked her. "Sir!" She tried to but she did not sound as reproachful as she had wanted. Her voice actually was too soft.

Fortunately the view of the Thames rescued Barbara from thinking about it any longer. At the end of that narrow street they had reached a beach promenade.

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 ***** Just before anyone complains: I know, it's _oyster_ , not _öyster_. But for _some certain reasons_ I prefer writing it like that \m/


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** I told you I won't post regularly and there's too much left unwritten. I only post this now because someone's been nagging again...

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"Wonderful." she said watching a container vessel slowly sailing by in the distance.

"Mhm." Barbara felt that his eyes were not on the river at all and it unnerved her so much that she quickly had to turn right to walk down the red brick walk. Children were running around surveilled by their parents, elderly people sat on benches and Barbara suddenly had to laugh about the scenery.

"This looks like a kitschy holiday advert."

Tommy shook his head in amusement when Barbara sprang down a few concrete steps and called him down to the sandy beach with a light-hearted laugh. She took off her shoes and he followed her lead. For several minutes they just walked along the beach barefoot and saying not very much. They picked up beautiful stones and Tommy found an empty water snail shell which he gave to her. Eventually they reached a rather rotten looking public bench, unusually placed down here and not on the promenade. It looked old and was already partly eaten away by the salty water. A brass plaque on it was saying

 _"But we like to sit at the water, Mr Police!"_  
 _1976 will never be forgotten. For Allen, our beloved friend_  
 _who never feared the reaper - Eric, Albert, Joe and Don._

Barbara laughed again when she plonked herself down on it and carefully placed her socks and shoes on the wood next to her leg leaving Tommy no chance to sit close.

"Ah, I can literally see those Hippies!" she chuckled. "Shitfaced all over, explaining to the policeman why they'd carried the bench down here. I'm glad this one is firmly fixed now. Come, let's be lazy." She invited him to sit by patting the wood of the bench.

But instead of sitting down Tommy turned. "You'll stay here."

"Hey, where are you going, Sir?"

"I'll be back in a minute." he called over his shoulder leaping two stairs at a time. Barefoot. Barbara really wondered about him.

Wondering but too relaxed to rack her brain Barbara leaned back, buried her naked feet in the dry sand and closed her eyes. Whatever would come she knew this was going to be a wonderful weekend, a wonderful birthday and she also knew she would lose her sanity if Lynley would continue to be so sweet and affectionate like on their walk here. The fact that he had kidnapped her had to be discussed some time but she also knew he only had meant it just as a nice surprise. And it was more than nice being here with him. In fact it all was perfect except for one unthinkable, highly impossible but still missing part. She knew it would never happen.

Barbara sighed when suddenly the smell of chocolate reached her nostrils. Chocolate and vanilla ice cream.

"I've bought one of each because I realised that I don't know which one you prefer." her impossibly wonderful boss said to her. Barbara jerked. Two cornets, one brown and one white, were held under her nose.

"That's my favourite." she murmured when she picked the dark one and realised that she caressed his hand in a deliberate accident when she took it. She could not have helped herself. With surprise she saw his pupils dilating and Barbara quickly had to avert his firm gaze when she lost courage. Her voice lost all sound. "Thank you." she breathed.

* * *

With the wind still ruffling their hair Barbara and Tommy sat on that old bench in silence. They enjoyed their ice cream and even the ever so correct earl still had not put on his shoes and socks again and was digging his toes into the sand. Barbara leaned back and relished the warmth on her shoulders that came from his arm. He had casually placed it on the backrest without touching her but close enough to be accidentally touched when she moved. She only moved once or twice but when she turned left into the direction of a crying child she pressed her shoulder into his hand in a way he could not help but squeeze her briefly.

People strolled past them on the wetter thus firmer part of the beach, the musical torture of another family amusement reached their ears and children's laughter brightened up the general mood of everyone. The inevitable seagulls eyed them from the beach promenade's handrail above and the edge of the litter bin next to them. A dog suddenly appeared and raked in a tender ruffle from Tommy but to his great disappointment no bite from his cone before its owner whistled him back.

"Adorable." Barbara mumbled affectionate.

"Oh, yes, a cute dog." Tommy nodded.

"Mhm, that too." She let her eyes follow the bouncing pet.

He turned his head. "Hm?"

"Well, your attraction to dogs..." Barbara explained. Her skin was blushing red. With a shy smile she added "And how you always get so chummy with them."

Tommy answered with a smile similar to the one she was giving him. "I can't help it."

"I know." She sighed. Then she suddenly threw the end of her cornet into the air and four or five seagulls fought to catch it with loud cries.

"Don't feed them." Tommy laughed. "They're vicious."

"Oh, I do know that! When I was young and we've been on holidays..."

"In that trailer park?"

"Mhm... I've been walking home from the ice cream van with my own spoil and one for Terry who was waiting on the playground. I've held it up showing it to him. Then a seagull came and picked it from my hand and suddenly I've only had _one_ cornet left."

"Aww, what a pity."

"Yeah. I then had to share mine with my brother. I couldn't afford another one." His sympathetic face made her laugh. "No. It was my own fault. I never would have admitted to my parents what had happened. But it was near the end of the holidays and I already had spent all my holiday pocket money. I used to have a strictly limited amount of one pound coin I was allowed to spend in these family amusements. There was one. A small one, less loud and definitely not at all like they are nowadays. I've spent some time there with holiday friends and in that year I've stretched my limits for fifty P."

"No..." Tommy laughed.

"Yes!" Barbara grinned. "Imagine - one pound fifty wasted for nothing. Dad wouldn't have approved of it."

"Most certainly not."

Several silent moments went by and they dwelled on their own thoughts. Then Tommy grabbed into his pocket and counted the coins he had fished out.

"Five." he said.

"Huh?" she turned her eyes away from two boys with their tiny hard foam boards gliding across the beach trying to make the most of the few low waves.

"I have five pound coins. Put on your shoes." Tommy got up and slipped into his own without the socks which he stuffed into the pockets of his trousers. "Let's be slaphappy and waste them."

"Slaphappy? What? No..." At first Barbara laughed but then she understood he really meant it. She knew it could be fun spending some money in one of these amusement hells. she shrugged. "Well, okay..."

* * *

Five quid were spent faster than thought but in the end, when Tommy just had wasted all the other coins from his pocket and had won nothing but fun, Barbara actually had won a funny rubber keyholder in the flat shape of a yellow minion and a voucher for candy floss she immediately redeemed. She ate it on their way back home.

With the third little bit of the pink sugar cloud she screwed up her face. "Yuck! That's not fairy at all. Did it taste like that when we were young?"

As clumsy as everyone bites off from candy floss Tommy tried the sweet stuff. Briefly Barbara's heart melted but then his face showed his disgust.

"Ugh." he said. "No, I'm sure it didn't. And I remember it being on a stick, freshly made instead of bagged in plastic. This here is gross."

After Barbara had disposed of the remnants Tommy put his arm around her shoulder. "I'll take you to the autumn fun fair in Nanrunnel this year. I'm sure their hand-crafted candy floss tastes better."

She was too puzzled about his invitation to give a reply but she liked him being so close to her. The strained conversation about work from earlier that day was forgotten now. All the way home to the St James' house her boss told her about a legendary day he had spent at said autumn fair with Simon in their younger days and Barbara had to laugh a lot at Tommy's expense.

When they reached the lane were the manor like Kentish cottage was they fell silent again and she withdrew her arm. She had not even been aware that she had looped it around his waist. Tommy on the other hand had clearly felt it burning through the cloth of his shirt. Even now when her arm had left him.

* * *

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	7. Chapter 7

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* * *

For the rest of the afternoon Barbara stayed upstairs in her magnificent realm with her new book. A nice murder mystery was promising a relaxed time before dinner.

But she did not have a lot of time. Eventually Deborah called her downstairs so they all could cook together. It was a nice mixture of banter, teasing and working hand in hand without words. To outsiders they may have looked like two befriended couples but there was without a doubt a certain hesitancy and tension between the two detectives who had spent a lot of time together recently but never on such private grounds with such an intimate thing like cooking with friends. They all laughed a lot but Barbara also blushed a lot. Tommy was acting so at ease with everything it almost frightened her.

They prepared a simple meal of spaghetti with home-made pesto and a salad and carried it all up the stairs so they could have it on the pretty huge balcony with the best view. Quiet classical piano music came through the open glass doors but although it would not have been her choice of music Barbara did not mind and she did not even mock Tommy about what sort of music he had chosen, like she usually did. This time it just fit in with the mood and the dinner round. Several candles in stormproof glass containers lit up the balcony. Never would she have admitted it but Barbara thought it was a very romantic dinner.

Barbara should not have worried at all. There were no awkward moments of silence. Instead they all were leading a pleasant conversation about all and nothing. The couples sat facing each other and eventually the men were talking about all the unacceptable things they had done in their youth. One word gave the other and soon the women only were listening to Simon and Tommy exchanging their memories. Deborah secretly was watching Barbara who just sat there munching on the last bites of salad and never letting her eyes leave Tommy. She suspected that Barbara surely was unaware of it.

* * *

Deborah saw amusement about the stories but also a huge portion of unhidden fondness and she knew that the decision she had made together with Simon had been the right one. Fortunately Tommy had not become suspicious but had quickly agreed on taking Barbara here.

Secretly when Deborah's eyes met Simon's she signalised that the moment was now. Barely perceptible he nodded and so she pulled out a keyring with two keys.

"Barbara?" she said.

"Yes?" Barbara had just exchanged her tomatoes for the cucumber on Tommy's plate and they both still grinned about their silent sgreement when she looked up. Deborah slid the keys over to Barbara. The Detective looked confused. "What's that?"

"Your keys." Deb answered.

Tommy leaned across and simply smiled.

"Keys? What for?" His sergeant still had no clue.

"For this house."

"What? Are you crazy?" Barbara's eyes went wide. Tommy chuckled and told her she could put the minion at it. "Bullshit!"

* * *

Now it was Simon's turn to laugh. "Not at all, Barbara." He put his cutlery aside and dabbed his mouth while Deborah topped up Barbara's glass of wine. Simon leaned back and stroked his wife's back. "You've seen that this is a huge house, especially after we've fitted out the attic. But when the boys didn't want to leave their tiny room we refurbished the attic and thought we'd move our bedroom there. Although I have to admit I really don't like the stairs. But now that we have more space we have less time to spend here. I have taken on that new position and Deb has started to work again. Not that I'd complain about work, but now that additionally the boys are dependent on their school holidays we're not here very often anymore."

Slowly Barbara began to understand where this would lead.

Deborah joined in. "The house needs to be inhabited." she said. "It would be a shame not to use it. And Simon and I are too busy recently so we seldomly get the chance these days to even drive here for a few days. You could drive here on weekends or other days. The more people come, the better. It's not a two hours drive from the city limits of London. Easy for you to reach. You have your own little refuge in the attic and you can come whenever you want. Tommy has his keys already."

"Why?" Barbara asked playing with the key ring. This weekend had become stranger than she had thought in the morning when her boss had called her. Wonderful, but strange.

Smiling Tommy's former love looked at him and Simon squeezed her hand. "Well, after all that had happened once in rather confusing times Tommy still is one of my best friends and-"

"No!" Barbara cut her off. "No, I mean, why _me_?!"

"Because you are our friend too. And you are _his_ best friend."

* * *

At Deborahs words Barbara shot a glance at the man next to her who nodded with a strangely serious expression.

"She's right." he said with a slightly hoarse voice. She shyly smiled and nodded in return as if she was saying that he also was her best friend but then she had to look away. Her heart was loudly thumping and telling her that she should accept her feelings. Barbara tried not to listen.

Simon seemed oblivious to their silent conversation. "And we've got to know you a lot during the previous year on several occasions so I'd say we're close friends too."

"Hear ye, hear ye!" Tommy raised his glass of wine and broke the tension winking his eyes. "To friends."

"To friends!"

Without them wasting any more words on it Barbara let the keys slip into the pocket of her jeans. She was telling herself that she could accept it for now. She could try it at least. As unbelievable as it was she had very dear friends here but if it would turn out that having her own space in this holiday cottage would not work she could as well return the keys later. She'll just try it.

* * *

Although Barbara would have been glad to help tidying up Deborah did not let her. On a tray she brought the used plates and cutlery down to the kitchen while Simon went inside to the bar. Barbara got up. The night was clear and warm and when she listened closely she was sure she could hear the North Sea's waves rolling up the shore. She closed her eyes.

"It's a fantastic night, isn't it?" His voice was right next to her and it made her shiver but she did not bother to open her eyes until she felt him taking her left hand. Surprised Barbara inhaled. The unexpected pleasant contact was just for a second and then he put something cool into her hand. Tommy had brought her glass of wine to where she stood at the balustrade. Almost gently he caressed her back. The touch tingled down her spine. "Are you still mad at me because I've brought you here?"

He was sure she was not, or otherwise she would have told him earlier when they had been walking through the village. Still he had to ask and set this right. Barbara was glad he had brought up the topic on his own.

"I am not and I wasn't really mad with you, Sir." She did not look at him when he sighed. "This house, the entire village is wonderful. But it had put me at least into a certain state of anger that you have shanghaied me. You know, you shouldn't simply decide what I'm doing with my time. This is exactly like when you've painted my flat! Eggshell white."

Although she chuckled while she alleged her accusations, she had made him look at her contritely. "I thought I'd given you a treat." he mumbled.

"Yah, you did." Barbara murmured into her glass.

"And it's just that I'd love to spend more time with you." he admitted after a deep breath. She fought hard not to choke on her wine. "Well, after all the evenings after work, all the weekend dates and other nice occasions we've spent time together, I thought you'd also be happy with it."

"I am. Very much so." she quietly answered. "Still I'd like to be asked, you know. You can command Havers, Sir, but you should ask Barbara. And - don't get me wrong, I'm really chuffed - but you could have told me of that key earlier."

"Mhm. If I had known that earlier." Tommy watched her intently staring out into the dark night. He felt that she avoided looking at him directly and so he sighed. "But you're right. As always."

With the knuckles of his fingers he stroked her left arm. Then he placed his hand on her right shoulder and gently squeezed it. The warmth of his arm above her back was comfortable. Involuntarily Barbara moved closer to him and almost held her breath. In fact she wanted nothing more but to properly lean into his side. His voice was close to her left ear now.

"It's something I rather like, you know, especially when-"

"Hey, you two!" All of a sudden Deborah had come onto the balcony. She asked if they also wanted a cocktail. "Simon's checking what goes fine with champagne. He's... already... had..." Seeing her friends so close to each other she slowly became aware that she had interrupted something important. She knew she had to leave immediately so she went on distinctively faster. "...two of those dangerously tasty mixtures. Come inside. You'll have to try them."

On her heels she turned and quickly went inside again making sure they would not see her smug smile.

* * *

Barbara and Tommy exchanged a hesitant look. He looked sad. She looked angry. It was not about him but about the interruption. He shrugged and it looked lost. Barbara was not giving away if he would be allowed to end the sentence he had started. Or if he was allowed to do what he had intended to do. He knew her so well but for once he was not able to read her expression.

"Well..." Barbara shook her head seeing that Tommy was not going on with what he had begun. The magic of the moment was gone anyway so they could as well follow Deborah inside. "Yeah, let's get drunk."

It took him a bit longer before Tommy finally joined them at the bar. He had needed several moments to calm down his nerves. He had been about to open his heart but Barbara obviously was not ready to hear what he felt for her. He was not even sure if she ever felt like him at all.

He only knew that she was not only his best friend. He knew he loved her.

* * *

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	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:** Just before someone wonders: the nightmare scene was inspired by a certain discussion. Thank you, Cats! ;-)

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Due to a certain amount of alcohol on a very hilarious and enjoyable Friday evening Barbara had slept badly and a bit longer than planned. Because of the brilliant weather she originally had intended to get up early and walk down the path through the marshland on her own, with her huge thermos mug full of coffee and a nice breeze in her hair. But now after a very disturbing dream she almost had fallen out of her bed before she woke up and rushed to the loo. On her way to the shower cubicle she got off her sweaty damp sleep shirt, hesitated, mused about the tub and then diverted her way with a big grin.

* * *

"Good morning!" Three heads went up when she entered the kitchen, her hair not yet dry, her voice cheery and her mood even better.

Tommy almost got up from his chair when he saw her but sat back immediately when he felt Deborah's prying eyes darting at him and when he saw Barbara's face turning confused for a brief second in the moment she recognised his movement. "Hello, Barbara. You're a bit late."

"Still not used to it?" she coquettishly replied.

Simon snorted a laugh at his old friend's baffled expression. " 'morning, Barbara. I hope you've slept well?"

"Nah. Not really." She turned towards the coffee machine and filled a mug with the beloved black liquid.

"Oh, what bothered you?" Deborah empathetically asked.

"Ah, well..." Barbara plopped down on a chair and took a sip. "I've had a nightmare in the morning. That's why I've decided to take a bath instead of a shower. It's calmed down my nerves a lot. Veeery relaxing."

Tommy choked on a bread crumb. Thoughts are free, he thought hiding his blushing face angling for the napkin he accidentally had pushed from the table. A sudden image had flashed through his mind that should not have appeared there in the morning already.

"Oh, no!" Deb grabbed Barbara's hand. "Do you feel better now?" Barbara nodded. "Care to tell us?"

"Nothing big. Well, yes, somehow." Barbara took another sip of coffee and smiled to herself. She was not at all going to tell them all of her dream. Only the later parts were suitable for public. "When I was leaving the house after... umm... well, I was walking down that path behind the house and I was followed by a moose. It suddenly had turned up and chased me. Then I was running. Eventually I got attacked by his hooves."

"A moose?" Deborah laughed. Barbara grinned.

"Yes, a big moose with dangerous hooves trying to trample me down. Carefully, so I wouldn't step onto forbidden grounds next to the path, I tried to duck away but had no chance. I lost balance and - lucky me - I woke up before I rolled out of bed."

"I'm glad you didn't." Simon said.

Tommy laughed out loud. Barbara's eyes narrowed in anger.

"Did you listen? It wasn't funny. It was a nightmare. Thank you for your compassion, _Sir_!"

Just a tad ruefully but still amused he apologised. "Oh, I'm sorry, Barbara. Yes. Yes, of course I feel for you." He paused. "Still... how could someone roll out of such a huge bed?"

Barbara snorted but decided to let his blunder pass this time. "Ah, it's too huge. I'm not used to a kingsize bed, you know. I obviously only slept on one side tonight. There was plenty of space on the left."

With a light shock she remembered, from a peek into his bedroom one day, that the left side was his. Oh, look, she thought embarassed, there's a breadcrumb on the table cloth. She had to remove it immediately.

"Even for a moose?" Tommy asked, his voice a bit hoarse. Unintentionally he was picturing himself lying on the left side of her bed and taking care that Barbara would not roll off. It was a nice but disturbing image and he knew now that he never would survive this weekend without making a fool of himself at one point.

"Yah, even that. Even for a slow witted _moose_..." Barbara rolled her eyes and grabbed a toast from the rack.

When suddenly Deborah got up with a fit of strange coughs Simon's focus was dragged to his wife and not the weird conversation his friends had. He followed her into the kitchen and left the two Detectives to continue with their banter on their own.

* * *

For their weekend stay they needed to stock up the fridge so before noon and lunch time would come they all got into the St James family car and drove to the superstore on the other side of the village. Tommy and Barbara were constantly bantering on the back seats until Simon put his foot down.

"Now will you stop quarreling, kids?" he cut them short. "Or you won't get your ice cream after shopping."

It was the most amusing shopping tour Barbara ever had although in almost every aisle she and Tommy were exchanging playful arguments. They bickered and bantered and teased each other so for a stranger it might look as if they had a serious issue with each other but in fact it was fun for Barbara and behind it there was so much tenderness in his words it made her look forward to his next ridiculous remark. Of course they were serious too, but even that was with such a huge portion of softness lurking under the surface that Deborah, who was secretly watching them, almost expected to find them kissing in the next aisle. Some time it had to break free, she thought and always was disappointed when the two only were bickering again - as if anyone was interested in the right brand of ketchup.

Lunch was eaten at the snack bar in the parking lot and after all their groceries were stored away at home they lounged about somewhere in the house and on the various balconies. Tommy conspicuously inconspicuous but obviously unrecognised by himself searched for a place near Barbara and she, similarly oblivious to what she did, made sure that wherever she placed herself there always was also some place for him. They sat on the dinner side veranda downstairs and Deborah secretly watched them from the balcony when suddenly her husband's mobile rang.

"Oh, nooo..." she groaned. At the table to her left Simon closed his book with a loud thud.

"Bloody phone..." he muttered and accepted the call. "Yes?"

* * *

That had not been planned although Deborah had looked quite a bit happy when she had said good bye to Tommy and Barbara. After Simon had been summoned back to his work in London the house owners had left their premises and suddenly the two Detectives had been alone in the Kentish cottage.

Barbara finally got her walk through the marshland but she was not alone but with her boss and the cool breeze she had looked forward to was more of a warm wind in the afternoon.

The shore was rather unspectacular. Just sleech and grass and almost no sand and at the moment there was not even water. The path simply vanished in the dark mud near the remnants of a wooden jetty. Some birds fluttered up and cried loudly.

For a few moments they just stood there and watched a cruise liner in silence.

"Mh." Barbara mumbled unconnected.

"Hm?" Tommy asked.

"Ah." She squeezed his elbow for a short moment and turned. "Let's go back. I'm not a bird spotter person. It's rather... umm... unexciting here."

He laughed and followed her up the path back to the house. Watching her backside he smiled. He found the short unexpected touch by her hand had been rather exciting and if he was honest to himself it had lifted not only his mood but also his hopes. This was going to become a wonderful evening, he decided. He already looked forward to losing his sanity.

* * *

Instead of going in they walked around the house and payed another visit to the beach and its promenade for the rest of the afternoon. In a quiet alley they found a nice little seafood restaurant and afterwards they had a pint at the pub on the other side of the street.

During the day and evening their mood changed from lighthearted to tensed and then again into hilarious laughter and from a sizzling flirtatious conversation to their usual banter and amused bitching about other tourists. All in all they had a lot of fun and also acted pretty much as if they were an old married couple on holidays. It actually was what they were somehow, Barbara realised. Being partnered for more than ten years and having gone through such a load of hard times and happier days together had left its marks on their lives and surely had brought them closer than just good friends.

On their way back to the cottage they even moved physically closer again and naturally ended with their arms friendly around each other before they had to part so that Tommy could unlock the door. A few moments later they had another beer in the cosy bar on the second floor and continued their casual conversation. They still talked until Barbara at some point suddenly got annoyed.

It had been a wonderful day but suddenly she had remembered that her birthday would be on the next day and the realisation that her boss still had not mentioned it with one single word or made plans or something like that suddenly had hit her. She began to hate herself for hoping that he would act like she had been dreaming of. Now she only hoped he would at least not forget it. Not that she thought he would surprise her with flowers or such romantic stuff in the morning but the prospect of Sunday being a day like every day had made her sad.

To top it all Tommy eventually said something completely thoughtless, something rather stupid about peerage and outdated traditions when they talked about the old English sea resorts that made her really angry inside. She did not say it but it was palpable. After several strained attempts from Tommy to keep up the conversation Barbara finally excused herself and went upstairs to her room half an hour before midnight. He did not hold her back. He did not know how.

She left the cosy bar because Barbara would not want to know too soon that he had forgotten her birthday. It would have been too disappointing.

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	9. Chapter 9

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With those hopeless thoughts Barbara went straight to bed and tried to sleep but the illuminated digits on her stupid travel alarm clock counted down the minutes to midnight deathly slow and even when it showed 00:01 and she had rolled onto the other side so she would not have to see the time she still could not find sleep.

It felt like half an hour had gone by but when she dared to take another look it only was 00:02. Then she suddenly heard the three middle part stairs creaking and she froze. A soft knock was heard at her door and it opened before she could call him in.

"Barbara?" he whispered into the dark that was moments later lit by a flickering orange light coming from a candle he had brought with him.

"What?" She sounded tired, but not sleepy.

"Can I come in?" His intonation sounded careful but his voice was close to her bed already.

"You're already standing at my b..." Speaking Barbara had turned. When she saw Tommy holding a bowl with a candle in it she stopped. "Oh."

Tommy smiled. "I'm sorry if I woke y-"

"You haven't." Barbara quickly said cutting him short. Then she sat up and moved back against the headboard. She turned on the little light on the most dimmed level so she could at least see better, what he was holding. In a nice cereal bowl there was some dark ice cream topped with white chocolate sprinkles and a candle from the dinner table simply was poked into the slowly melting mass. She had to snort a laugh. It looked too cute.

Tommy shrugged. "I'm sorry it doesn't look very... impressive. I hadn't planned it like that but I couldn't really buy you a cake at the superstore, could I? You would have seen it, at the latest when we had met at the cashier. And then I've found this in the freezer."

"You know I love chocolate ice cream, Sir."

"I know." With a bright smile he held the bowl out to her. Her heart was melting like its contents. "Happy birthday, Barbara."

"Thank you, Tommy." Her voice was soft and it sent a shiver down his spine. The accidental touch to his hands when she took the bowl made her heart make an additional beat. Tommy also handed her a teaspoon. "Sit down. I'll share it with you."

"I had hoped so." Tommy waved a second teaspoon. It made her grin.

Barbara was so glad that it was still quite dark in the room so he could not see her blush.

* * *

Fortunately he was not sitting down on the edge of her bed but carried one of the armchairs to her side. Her eyes had followed him and when he sat Barbara blew out the candle.

"Did you make a wish?" he asked.

"Of course." she chuckled and kept it to herself of course although he cocked his head in a pretty cute curious way.

Tommy had to laugh out loud when Barbara cringed about the taste of candle wax with chocolate ice cream. Her funny face when she had licked it off took all other naughty thoughts from his mind. She shuddered before she placed the candle on her bedside table. "Ugh. Disgusting!"

The chocolate ice cream though was all but disgusting.

"Mh. I have to admit that I thought you forgot it." Barbara mumbled after two dainty bits.

"Forgot it?" Tommy asked and raised his eyebrows the way she loved it. She quickly looked into the ice cream again.

"Well, yes. That it's my birthday today." she explained. "You haven't mentioned it with one single word from the moment you've called me on my way to work."

"How could I, Barbara?" he smiled. "In fact I must confess that I've had it on my mind all the time."

His smile was so disarming that it made her nervously tuck in more of the fantastic ice cream.

In fact it was the best ice cream Barbara ever had tasted. It was so much darker than all the cheap stuff she usually had from the supermarket. It really was delicious. And the way Tommy was licking his spoon brought up thoughts into her mind that were unmentionable. And the intense way he suddenly looked at her made her quickly stop nibbling at her own spoon that had become quite clean while she had watched him.

Clearing her throat she dug the spoon into the bowl again.

When they had consumed it completely Tommy put the empty bowl on the night stand and leant back in his chair. A conversation about good and bad ice cream had turned into a light discussion about prices, supermarkets and delicatessen shops until Barbara accused him of not going grocery shopping on his own. Tommy laughed and lifted his legs.

"And how do you think the food gets into my freezer?" He had placed his feet in socks onto her bed. Barbara grinned. "By magic?"

"You surely have your servants."

"Oh, Barbara, you know I haven't."

Pensively she nodded. They had been to the supermarket several times when they had gone home to finish work at his or sometimes her home. Still she loved to tease him. Especially when he seemed so relaxed to lounge like that in the armchair while she still was confused to have him next to her while she was sitting in bed.

* * *

Eventually she forgot the tension. They were talking leisurely about the shopping trip with Deb and Simon, the house, Kent and how far they have come together even though there still were so many differences between them. Differences that did not seem to matter, less and less over all those years. What had been a clash of everything they were, with their radically differing backgrounds and opinions, had turned into a complementing partnership that nobody ever had expected. And it was a strong partnership that slowly also had crept into their private lives. Throughout the years they had discovered numerous unexpected similarities and right now they were very at ease with each other. Right now at the moment even more.

Unrecognised by neither of them they had begun to talk about very personal things, discovered and revealed secrets and eventually told each other what they liked. Barbara praised him for not flying off the handle as quickly as he had the tendency to years ago and that he had become less elitist, no matter how stupid his comments sometimes still were. A fact she had realised not very long ago and finally found the courage to tell him tonight. It made Tommy smile, a bit proud and a bit soft, with eyes trying to tell her that he thought it was her influence. Then he told her. He also told her that he loved seeing her becoming less harsh and that nowadays she knew she could trust the people that are with her.

"You let them in. Finally." he softly said and smiled at her.

"Do I?" Barbara murmured picking at an invisible thread on her bed cover.

"Of course you do." Tommy leant over and covered her hand with his. She stopped fidgeting with a deep sigh. "And I'm glad you've let _me_ in."

Barbara looked up to try to decipher the expression on his face. He smiled uninterpretable. She looked away again.

"Well, and I'm glad you do listen to me from time to time." she said.

Tommy gave a soft laugh. "You've made me a better person."

* * *

"Nah..." Now it was her turn to laugh.

"Yes." he firmly stated. "I was an arrogant idiot. I think, I still am when I'm... Well, you're my safe outlet and I really bark at you too often."

"Ah... I'm enduring you. Everyone has to rant from time to time. I do understand that. Who would, if not me?" They laughed together. "I mean, I'm the inventor of ranting, right?"

"I endure you." When their laughs had ebbed he smiled at her without restrictions. "Really, I don't just endure you. I enjoy every moment we spend together being honestly open to each other."

"Yah, I enjoy it too." she confessed.

"And therefore I'd like to apologise again for my stupid elitist comment from earlier. I shouldn't have said that."

"Well, there's a tiny truth in your words, Sir."

"Don't!"

"What?"

"Don't call me Sir." He looked pleading. "At least in private you should call me by my given name. Constantly."

"I did."

"Indeed. But only once or twice." Tommy knew exactly how often she did it and he remembered every situation. "I'd love to hear you say it more often. It would mean so much to me."

"Okay, I will." Barbara yawned and caught the sight of her alarm clock. It was shortly after one o'clock. "Oh, gosh, it's late, Tommy!"

"Well, I had hoped to hear you say my name differently and not as a bouncer," Tommy chuckled. "but yes, I should leave you alone now and let you sleep." Tommy got up and put away the armchair. When he returned he sat down at the edge of Barbara's bed. "Can I give you a good night kiss or will you slap my face?"

She rolled her eyes. "I won't. I have forgiven you for kidnapping me." Only then she realised what she had allowed him to do but he already leaned over before she was able to overthink it. In fact she even moved her head towards his.

Softly touching her lips with his Tommy gave her a brief good night kiss. Barbara was surprised because she had expected him to give her a simple peck on the cheek. She had to swallow hard and forced herself to breathe again.

"Sleep well, Barbara."

"Good night, Tommy."

He took the empty bowl with him when he left her room.

* * *

The memories of the soft pressure of his lips on hers kept Barbara awake for almost two more hours wondering what he was thinking about her response to the brief kiss. The confusion only slowly vanished but when she finally fell asleep a happy smile had emerged on her face.

Tommy also was thinking a lot. Her unexpected reaction made him toss and turn in his bed for almost two more hours before he forced himself to just treasure the memory, keep it and let it be a nice trigger for a wonderful dream. And tomorrow he planned to explore it all further.

They had not exactly done what Deborah thought they would but for all the inhibitions they still had it had come very close.

* * *

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	10. Chapter 10

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* * *

On Sunday after her morning shower before she went down to the kitchen Barbara decided to put on the short sleeping pants she still had not slept in yet. Today would be a leisure day. She had planned to not leave the house and grounds at all today, except maybe in the evening for dinner, but finally finish reading her book. The crime novel actually was not very big but there had been too many interruptions recently.

The sound from the radio in the kitchen reached her ears when she went down the stairs. Obviously Tommy already was up and bustling about. Plates were heard and a pan that was put on the stove. Before she entered Barbara deeply breathed. She had to hesitate for a few seconds before she faced Tommy.

He was quietly whistling.

" 'mornin', S..." Seeing his raised eyebrow Barbara cocked her head and gave up. To hell with 'Sir', she thought, and he had offered it more than often. Besides it felt good saying his name. Her face lit up with a bright smile. "Good morning, Tommy."

"Good morning, Barbara." he replied smiling even brighter. Then he let his eyes wander down her body. It made Barbara blush. She immediately wished she had put on something longer than the shorts and just a T-Shirt. She even was barefoot and when his gaze reached her feet his smile turned into a grin. He was in long jeans but his feet also were naked. "Coffee's ready. Care to help me with breakfast?"

He returned his attention to the stove. He felt able to withstand the temptation while she was properly dressed, but with her in nothing but shorts and T-shirt, showing so much of her knees, revealing so much of the beautiful curves of her, curves he never thought there were, all her beautiful appearance made it hard for him to suppress the overwhelming desire to sweep Barbara into his arms and kiss her.

In his back Barbara just nodded and helped herself to a mug of steamy coffee before she set the table. Together they prepared breakfast in silence. They shared shy smiles and avoided contact but both knew there was something standing between them. It was nothing bad. Quite the opposite. It was something big and wonderful and it made them exchange looks that led to nothing but a certain happy sizzle, a certain thrill of anticipation. There was something in the air that could not be described in words - an amused seriousness, carefully hidden open longing in their eyes, and that certain confusing attraction that made them craving for touches they avoided on the other hand because of all the unknown and all the fears and everything that seemed to stand between them.

* * *

Eventually Tommy stopped what he was doing. He just had placed some streaks of bacon on their plates. He had to say something important. He knew it was a good idea to stop where he had stopped in the night although he had dearly wanted to kiss her properly and get into bed with her but the conversation they had had had been too wonderful and everything else would have spoiled the moment. But he was not willing to let it end with that single kiss. He was going to take another step and see if Barbara would follow.

"Barbara?" His voice was soft. She looked up and there was a hint of gentle desire in his eyes that made her knees go weak. "I've enjoyed yesterday. Very much so."

"Mh. Me too." Nervously her eyes darted through the room.

Tommy gave her a hopeful look. "I mean the whole day."

"Yah." Barbara nodded and hoped he understood she also meant the first hour of this Sunday.

"Especially our ice cream conversation." he specified it. Behind Tommy's grin there was so much fondness, visible even for her, although she inefficiently still tried to not interpret too much in it. "And..." he paused again as if he was not sure how to name it. Looking lost he absentmindedly stirred in the pot with beans. "...well, everything."

Barbara chuckled and nodded again. Tommy looked up from his beans and gave her the most sincere look that made her nervously divert her eyes again.

"Can I..." He shot a glance at the kitchen clock at the wall. Then he almost casually asked "Can I give you a nine o'clock good morning kiss?"

Barbara's heart missed two beats before it started to race with double speed. "Sure." she breathed. Her eyes were big and full of surprise about his question. And full of pleasant anticipation.

With two slices of white bread in her hands she stood still when he fully turned and bent down. She only moved her feet to stand on tiptoes and meet him halfway. This time she knew _for sure_ that he was not going to give her a peck on the cheek.

She closed her eyes and could not see that his were closed too when their lips met in a careful and not very long but unbelievably soft kiss.

* * *

They went on almost as if nothing had happened. Briefly they had smiled at each other afterwards but instead of kissing her again, which was his deepest wish, Tommy quickly had turned and saved the almost burnt mushrooms from the hot pan. He actually was glad he had a distraction.

Barbara also needed one. She had enjoyed the intimate contact and would have loved to repeat it straightaway but somehow she also was glad that they were in the middle of their breakfast preparations. The beans were hot now. Although she came really close taking the pot from the stove without a word Barbara dared not looking at Tommy directly so she could not see that he still was contentedly smiling. He supposed that she could have taken the small pot without rubbing her arm across his.

And he could not see her happy smile while she distributed the beans onto the plates. Her heart was thumping loud against her chest and almost drowned out the high-pitched sound he made when he cleared his throat. This kiss had been a positively disturbing moment and their attempt to cherish each of the seconds it had lasted silenced them.

* * *

They only broke the silence when the table outside was completely set and the plates were filled with a healthy full English. It became the topic of their conversation. They discussed the pros and cons of such a meal and if a yoghurt with fruits and maybe some cereals would not be better.

"I prefer this here." Barbara muttered with a mouth full of scrambled eggs and toast. "To start into a hard day."

Tommy winked but she did not see it. "Do you think it will become a hard day today?"

"Nah, of course not. It may be my birthday, but I'm quite sure it won't become-" Then she recognised his mischievous grin and she groaned. Her face also turned into a grin. "I meant hard days _at work_. You know, I have a rather demanding boss so I'm glad I'm _not_ at work at the moment."

They laughed freely.

"Oh, we should have had a breakfast picknick." Tommy suggested pointing his chin to the marshland. "With a blanket on that small patch of rough grass next to the veranda."

They looked at each other and Barbara blushed. She feared he possibly could be able to read her mind. With a nice cringe of her stomach she was thinking about a wonderful day with him next to her on that blanket. Very close. Breakfast surely was not on her mind and Tommy's sigh only deepened the depth of her imagination.

"Yes, the weather is perfect for that." she quietly said. Then the conversation switched to the weather in general. Barbara could not help but be relieved and disappointed all at once but it certainly took away a bit of the tension. Something between them was different this morning. There was a certain contentment, some sort of agreement where this would end. Their nine o'clock good morning kiss had given them a prospect of how this day could develop.

Deep inside Barbara hoped he would kiss her again. Deep inside Tommy wondered how he could manage to steal another innocent kiss or even a bit more than that. For now they only finished breakfast and continued a discussion about container vessels over the last drops of coffee in their mugs, Then they put together the used plates. They brought everything inside, returned with a damp cloth and a dry towel and wiped the wax cloth on the table.

* * *

For several moments they stood together, pleased with breakfast, pleased with the weather and the clean table. For several moments they studied the horizon and the waves of grass and the birds in the sky. They stood very close. It was close enough for his right arm to touch her left side.

Tommy raised his left arm and looked at his watch. His voice was silken when he spoke. It sent a shiver across her nape.

"I wonder if I'm allowed to give you a ten after ten kiss, Barbara."

"Yah, of course." she croaked. This time her heart immediately started to race. She was blushing deeply but she turned to him nonetheless.

As if he had not expected her quick answer Tommy's face lit up. He stepped closer. Barbara raised her hands but instead of making a distancing gesture she placed them softly on his chest and closed the last inch between them.

Tommy held her elbow and bent down once again. This time Barbara saw him closing his eyes. Expecting his lips on hers she followed his lead only a second later. But he was not touching her yet. Tentatively slow it appeared as if he was not really daring to kiss her. A breath of a touch followed another. The tip of his nose gently prodded hers and she heard him exhaling when she finally moved her face towards his. She was eager to feel him. Then she welcomed his smiling lips. They were even softer than she had expected them to be after she had learned their taste in the previous contacts. Tommy managed to avoid a collision of their noses and so Barbara felt the breath from his nose on her left cheek.

Without turning it into a hefty snog their kiss became an unexpectedly intense encounter. It lasted several seconds. After the first couple of still moments they cautiously made a gentle movement until Tommy also grabbed her other elbow to keep her from leaving although it was all but her intention anyway.

He knew it for sure when her lips briefly opened and the tips of their tongues almost touched. They did not because she closed her mouth again and withdrew from him. Carefully he broke the contact. Her eyes stayed shut for several seconds longer and her face beamed with pleasure. Her fists had crumpled his shirt.

* * *

Tommy only spoke when she looked at him again. He could read confusion and desire, shock and pleasure in them. "Mmmh!" he breathed full of joy. He was eternally happy with her obvious reaction to their kiss. "Wonderful."

"Indeed."

A cry of a seagull on the top of the roof cut the silence. Barbara turned towards the table and grabbed the towel to bring it inside. Giving Tommy another shy but happy smile she left him standing there. She had swallowed hard and rushed inside. Tommy was unworried. He knew all was well. He also knew this was going to be a perfect day. He believed that she would be happy with another advance. He at least would want that. Not now but soon and with joy he looked forward to his next chance to kiss Barbara.

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	11. Chapter 11

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Barbara looked forward to giving him another chance to kiss her. This had been a wonderful meeting of their lips and she knew she almost had let Tommy in. Unfortunately she had been so shocked about herself opening her mouth to him that she had closed it again. Nonetheless her heart now still was stepping in three-quarter time and joyfully flapping butterflies in her belly accompanied her on her way inside.

Barbara did not come back to the veranda. She was completely overwhelmed by the kiss they had exchanged a few moments ago. She needed a cool soft drink and time and space to adjust to the situation. Her heart beat fast, a grin was plastered into her face and she could not help but feel light-hearted when she went to the upstairs balcony.

"Cooee!" Tommy heard her overexaggerated voice from above. It was followed by a boisterous laughter. He saw her waving her antique murder mystery. He also saw her half naked legs and swallowed. "I thought I'd read a bit." Barbara explained. "I haven't even finished a quarter of this book."

He nodded and pointed at the riddle story he had found in the study earlier. "I think reading is a good idea."

They shared a smile before they retreated with their reading matter. Unspoken they agreed to give themselves some time. Not too much though.

* * *

Joining her on the balcony half an hour later he surprised her with another cup of coffee. "And?" There still were his reading glasses on the tip of his nose.

"Oh, wonderful! Ta." Before she answered she took a sip. It distracted her from the sight of his face with the unruly lock falling half over his eye. It always tempted her to put it back to where it belonged. "I have three deaths already and absolutely no clue."

Tommy sat down with his own book and coffee. He tossed a pack of cookies onto the table. "Spoiler alert: it will be revealed in the last chapter and as far as I know Agatha Christie it will be an absolute surprise."

"I know. But I'm a Detective." she sighed and leaned over reaching for one of the treats. She would have been able to do it without touching him but a little devil inside told her to move the back of her hand against his arm. A coy look into his eyes revealed his reaction and it pleased her. "I should recognise the little signs and incidents."

"Don't be too harsh. She knows how to hide them." His eyes were glued onto her bent knee before he ripped them off the little beauty spot above it.

Another look into his eyes confused her. His words sounded as if he was not speaking of Agatha Christie's novel.

"Mhm." Barbara murmured before she dipped her nose into her mug to hide her face. For several minutes they kept on reading. Then she got up and went to the bathroom. On her way back she brought some grapes on two plates. "They must be horribly expensive at the moment."

"Ah, well, not exactly." Tommy minimised. Hesitantly he caressed her back while she stood next to the table. As if he suddenly realised what he was doing his hand shot back between the pages of his book. He harrumphed. "Okay, you're right. They're not exactly cheap either." Looking up again he met her raised eyebrow and tried to even out his comment with a broad grin. He knew Barbara never would have bought them this time of the year. "We're on holiday, Barbara. Don't ask for the costs."

Barbara groaned. "Rich kid." she muttered playfully pushing his shoulder with her left hip. She was not really annoyed so Tommy dared to laugh. Before she laid down on the deck chair again Barbara divided the grapes into two equally big heaps. It was not exactly an accident when she brushed her fingers against his when she gave him his share but she was rewarded with a broad grin and knew that he knew. Her face softly blushed again but she managed another shy smile.

She loved what they were doing and how it felt.

* * *

The grapes were eaten slowly. Both of them read their books for a while and there was silence. Just from time to time their eyes met. Eventually Tommy snapped his book shut with a thud.

Barbara looked up.

"We should think about lunch. And dinner." he said tossing his glasses onto the table.

"We could cook one and go out for the other." she suggested.

"Okay, but I'm asking you out. It's your birthday so it's my treat." Tommy smiled. "Lunch or dinner. You decide."

"Then it will be somewhere nice for dinner."

"So be it." He watched her thoughtfully. "I know we're in a sea resort but I was thinking we could have something other than fish. Or öysters."

"Oh, I liked them. They were..." She closed her eyes with an enthusiastic expression. "Mmmh... delicious! It was a brilliant idea, Sir. Tommy."

Barbara let her head fall back onto the pillow on her chair and watched the sky. For several moments she felt his eyes resting on her face before she saw that he turned his own face upwards. In silence they watched the clouds sailing by and the birds up above spiraling into the blue.

She sighed. "In fact this entire weekend was a brilliant idea."

"Not mad anymore?"

* * *

"Oh, Tommy!" She knew he only mocked her but she had to set it right again anyway. "I told you I never really was." Smiling she turned her face towards him with a coquettish look. "And how could I be mad with _you_?"

Tommy swallowed and kept on watching her. She kept her sweet smile. This time she was not even blushing. "Are you flirting with me?" he quietly asked.

It shocked her because she suddenly realised that she did just that. She held his gaze when she hoarsely but firmly answered. "Does it look like that?"

"Actually yes." His dark eyes looked right into her soul and Barbara felt an unknown lift of her mood.

"Well, well..." She did not say more but she finally turned her face away from his with a roguish smile.

For a while there was silence again. Tommy fought hard to find his composure. With her unexpected flirtatious behaviour Barbara had slightly pushed him out of his usual self-confident state. Barbara also was trying to calm down because that little flirt had been all but intentional and it really had surprised her similarly.

* * *

"We can go for a stroll again and see if we find another nice restaurant." Tommy picked up the thread of dinner after a few minutes. "If not, we could go to Matlock and sons again."

"This is a really nice but not very small village." Barbara got up and stacked their empty plates. "I'm sure we'll find something. Maybe the antique shop lady can recommend-"

"No!" he laughed. With his hands he wiped some crumbs from the table and then got up too. "We'll never get out there without a new... without an _old_ purchase."

"Oh, yes!" Barbara snickered hard. "Five minutes longer and I'd have bought those tin soldiers just to get out there."

"Oh, à propos purchase." Tommy's voice turned softer. "Again: Happy birthday, Barbara." With that he grabbed into his pocket and gave her the two halves of her own öyster held together by a simple brown drawstring neatly tied into a bow. "I've cleaned them." he explained while Barbara caressed the tiny cardboard tag with her thumb. It showed a beautiful B in his best handwriting. "Open it." he murmured.

Her fingers were shaking and she had some problems with the knot but when she managed to open the shell she almost sobbed. Inside was a thin silver chain with a pendant not bigger than a thumb's nail. A tiny shimmering pearl was held by a roughly shaped dark emerald half moon.

"Gosh, Tommy!" she sighed shocked and pleased.

Still amused about it he told her that he had given the few quids it had cost to the old lady in the antiques shop and had let it vanish inside his pockets before he had hurried outside pretending that he only had been caught in the verbal claws of that lady.

"I can't accept that!" she half-heartedly objected. She held the shells out to him.

"You can. No arguments!" Tommy gently pushed her hands away from himself and kept his fingers around hers for longer than necessary.

Barbara surrendered because she knew he would not accept a no and she was not really objecting anyway. It was such a nice gesture and a beautiful present. Quietly, almost without looking up to him she thanked him. "It's gorgeous. Thank you, Tommy."

"Put it on."

Her fingers were trembling and so Tommy had to help her. He stepped closer and Barbara briefly closed her eyes inhaling his scent. His aftershave and his personal smell filled her nose while he closed the clasp of the silver chain in her nape. She hated herself for blushing again but he was too close to her and this gesture was too intimate not to feel touched.

"Thank you." she quietly said feeling for the pearl at her throat. "It's beautiful."

"Indeed it is."

Barbara looked down to the ground but he recognised they both had not made any step away from each other. His whole feature lit up. Estimating he looked towards the sun. It surely was about noon. It surely was time.

* * *

"Hmmm." Tommy cocked his head. "Barbara, can I give you a-"

"Yes!" Her eyes widened in surprise about her hasty and bold reply. Then she sheepishly smiled. "Tommy, for all I care you could give me a 24/7 kiss if you want!"

Without any more words he bent over and she had no objections at all when his lips closed hers.

This time their encounter lasted. Her arms went around his neck immediately and his fingers encircled her waist the moment their faces met. Her lips almost opened with the first contact of his. Several nibbling kisses and breathed pressure were the prelude to a deep exchange of caresses. Eventually Barbara opened her mouth more and breathed a sigh onto his. It was the sign for Tommy that told him he was welcome. He did not need a second invitation and soon their tongues were slowly twisting. Barbara dug her fingers into his nape when she also felt his hands sliding lower and onto her hips. Excitement and the need for oxygen made their hearts beat faster and at one point they had to break apart. They did it hesitating and in fact their lips never lost contact completely.

"Are you flirting with me?" Barbara breathed into his open mouth.

"Not at all." Tommy deepened another kiss.

There still was no sound in her voice when she spoke again. "Then what is this?"

Now he looked at her properly. He held her chest a bit away from his and smiled besotted. "Without any words my lips are telling you how much I love you."

Barbara's eyes lit up with joy. But because she still furrowed her brows in disbelief and before her lips could tell him any objections with too many unnecessary words Tommy closed the distance between their faces and kissed her again.

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	12. Chapter 12

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It was hard to break apart and stay away from each other after that breathtaking and eye opening kiss and so they exchanged little kisses and chuckled and grinned and searched for the other's lips again for a while. But eventually they managed to keep a decent distance. Constantly shooting contented smiles towards each other they stood at the railing for a while watching the marshland. His hand covered hers on the wood. Neither of them really knew how to go on from that point. Something was different now. Not bad at all but very different. And so very wonderful it caused a thrilling elation for both.

"Fancy a drink?" Tommy eventually asked with a lopsided grin. He just had to say something to break the silence. He did not want to have a drink right now. The only thought he had was that he wanted to carry her inside and make love with her.

"A drink?" Barbara snorted laughing. It was not at all what she fancied right now. She only could think about kissing him again and maybe move to his bedroom eventually. A thrilling idea that made her positively nervous. "Isn't that a tad too early?"

"Well... It's past eleven, isn't it? Pubs are open already." His eyes were twinkling mischievously when she chuckled. "Plus we're on holidays. Sort of. And it's your birthday. I know there must be a bottle of champagne in the fridge."

"You're right, but actually... Let's keep it for later." He shot a hungry glance at her and she knew what he had in mind. It was alluring but suddenly it also frightened her. "I'm rather hungry. We should eat something."

As if on cue her stomach rumbled. Tommy laughed out loud. "I see. What do you have in mind?"

 _You'd never believe!_ she thought and harrumphed. "There's one thing I know how to make it. Because it's quite simple."

"Burnt toast with butter?"

"You're mean!" Playfully Barbara slapped his upper arm. Tommy only grinned. "Well, yes. That and sandwiches."

"Good idea." Tommy gave her a small tickling kiss onto her neck before they went inside together.

He had placed his hand on the small of her back rather often lately. This time it was different. This time it was lower and with distinctively more tenderness.

* * *

It was hard to keep their lips and hands away from each other while they prepared the sandwiches in the kitchen. On every occasion they shared a smile, every now and then they stole small kisses and gave each other gentle caresses whenever it was possible. They did not even stop touching and at least they played footsie while they ate on the balcony above the conservatory and if the sun suddenly would have disappeared there still would have been a bright glow of happiness around them.

They did not say much. In silent agreement they both tried to not break the spell. And Barbara did not know what she should say anyway. She still could not believe that Tommy Lynley had kissed her and that he even had declared his love for her. It surely was the spur of the moment and the mood of her birthday. She enjoyed it nonetheless.

For dessert they had a yoghurt with exotic fruits she never had heard of except for the day they had bought them at the superstore. Barbara had moved to the deck chair to eat it and when Tommy had finished his he watched her still revelling in the wonderful taste she had not known before. He sat down on the edge of her chair when she had eaten the last bit. Carefully he took the bowl from her hands without a word, placed it on the table and, still watched by her curious eyes, finally bent down to her to give her another sweet dessert. Their kiss began slow but soon her arms were looped around his neck and their mouth's encounter had deepened and it was becoming more desireful.

It turned hot and hotter with their tongues twisting and fighting, with hot breaths mingled and with lips nibbling. Tommy supported himself with one arm on the wood next to her. His other arm led his gently caressing hand to her neck, into her nape, to her upper arm and to her throat from where he let it slide down to her cleavage. Barbara found herself being pushed down on the deck chair. She had no objections. She felt Tommy climbing half on top of her and pressing her deeper into the cushion. It was wonderful to feel him above her. Their lips never really parted.

"You taste so good!" Tommy moaned into her open mouth and pressed himself against her body.

But then something suddenly pulled her out of the gorgeous oblivion she had been in. Something distinctively aroused was pressed against her thigh. Fears surfaced, objections popped up in her thoughts, anxiety suddenly filled her mind and so she ended the kiss by turning her head away from his. Gently but decidedly Barbara pushed Tommy away from her. She jumped off the chair muttering "I'm sorry."

* * *

Tommy did not know what was wrong. He sighed and watched her standing near the doors. She looked nervous. She certainly was anxious. He must have looked confused because she began to explain with a shaky voice.

"I'm sorry, Tommy, but..." Looking to the ground Barbara bit her lower lip. "I dont think... I'm afraid I'm not able to... fulfil your wishes and needs and... expectations. I..."

"I have no expectations, Barbara." he tried to reassure her that everything was fine. He sat up. "Being in love with you and being able to show it, to display my love, and, yes, _act_ on it... With you all is new for me too. And... it's wonderful."

He had added the last word quietly and full of tenderness. For a while they looked at each other. Barbara still was wide eyed and Tommy tried to look as convincing as possible.

"Mh." she said. He knew she was all but convinced. But he could wait. This new step of his relationship with Barbara was fragile but so great it would be worth waiting until she had adjusted her mind to the idea of loving him.

"We have all the time we want." Tommy said. "I'm not forcing- ...I'm not going to rush anything, Barbara. _You_ have all the time you need." He saw her eyes shooting an uncertain glance at the visible bulge in his pants. "Yes, I long for you. Physically. I can't deny it. Nor hide it. And I actually don't want to. I've hidden my love for too long, but-"

He stopped. Barbara had abruptly turned and was going inside. She could not bear to see him being so wonderfully patient any longer. She could not bear to listen to his compassionate words any longer. Nobody ever spoke to her like that but she just was frightened. "I'm..." she murmured. "I need a break. Please excuse me."

A few steps inside she stopped and turned towards Tommy again. With a deep breath she gathered all the courage she could muster. "I love you Tommy, but..."

Her voice trailed off. It had not been her intention to declare her love for him although it was the truth. Again she only looked to the ground.

* * *

"I understand." Softly smiling Tommy nodded. His heart had made a joyful jump when he had heard her saying she loved him and he wanted nothing more than to run to her, swoop her into his arms and kiss her again. Instead he stayed where he was. Barbara needed time and he would be patient. "I'll be waiting."

His eyes followed her when she walked further inside. Barbara felt them burning in her back. Her emotions were in a chaotic turmoil. On one hand she wanted Tommy more than anything else, mentally and physically. On the other hand she feared she would disappoint him. Or end up afterwards being disappointed and destroyed. She was risking so much - her job, her usual life, her reputation, her sanity. Then again she was trying to convince herself that love makes everything possible and she was at least not completely inexperienced. And she loved him. She loved the man Tommy Lynley. His title did not mean anything to her. His rank was not important. And to be honest, after the wonderful days in this village, after _this_ wonderfully sizzling day here in the cottage and the most wonderful kiss on the deck chair she craved for him with every fibre of her body. Reaching the end of the stairs up to her attic realm Barbara stopped. With one hand already on the hand rail she pensively stared at the wood and finally made a decision.

"To hell with these stupid fears!" she whispered. Then she raised her voice without turning. "Tommy?"

"Hmm?"

"Come with me?"

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	13. Chapter 13

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* * *

Tommy woke up some time later. He did not know what time it had been when they had fallen onto her bed together, nor did he know how long they had made love. It had been gentle in the beginning and what had been supposed to become a slow journey of love soon had turned into a rather hefty, enjoyable encounter. Although he would not say it aloud he had no other word but a rude one for their explosive meeting. He was too lazy to think about a proper expression anyway.

The space next to him felt empty. To his disappointment his searching hands found no naked woman and so he opened his eyes. 16:23 said the digits on her alarm clock. He vaguely remembered a careful hand caressing his arm and cautious lips kissing his cheek but he obviously had fallen asleep again after these tender touches. Now she was gone.

Surveying the room he found his clothes neatly folded and placed onto the chair, something that made him smile because it was nothing he ever would expect from Barbara. Her own clothes were not there. For a moment Tommy wondered but then he heard her ranting at some "bloody seagulls" outside.

When he looked out of the huge window he saw her stretching herself out on a blanket on the small patch of rough grass next to the veranda. She was lying on her belly and the sight of her delicious bum cheeks under the thin cloth of her shorts made him swallow hard. At the moment she was closing a box of cookies but what she mumbled could not be heard from his lookout. He only knew it was a curse meant for the vicious birds. It made him chuckle.

Barbara had damp hair and somehow it disappointed Tommy because she obviously had showered alone. A shower with her had been the last wonderful thought before he had fallen asleep earlier. He had to defer that for later but the prospect would keep up his good mood until then. He went and refreshed himself.

* * *

Barbara startled a bit when suddenly a pair of naked feet appeared next to her book on the blanket. She had heard him bustling about in the kitchen but she had not heard him coming down the wooden steps. Now the smell of coffee filled the air. Raising her head she looked up across some jeans-clad legs and a certain area that made her remember something very wonderful. Still she blushed a bit. His silent smile was wide and she knew he had taken a shower but his shorter hair almost had dried completely.

Tommy knelt down and held out a mug of steamy black coffee to her. "I thought you'd want one for your cookies."

"Ta." Carefully Barbara put the bookmark between the pages, closed her book and put it aside before she took the mug with a broad smile. For Tommy it was the loveliest smile in the world. He joined Barbara on the blanket and leaned over to give her a kiss. Her smile got a slightly shy touch. It was so cute that Tommy hoped she would never get used to be loved by him. He sighed and laid down on his back facing the sky. His eyes though were on Barbara who had sat up to drink her coffee. At the moment she looked down on him. There was a certain something in her eyes he could not read but it made her even more beautiful. There also was the hint of disbelief and a hidden portion of great concern.

"I'm still here, Barbara." Tommy quietly said. "And I'm not going anywhere. This _is_ happening. It's real."

The way she averted his eyes told him that he had hit exactly what was bothering her. "Mh." she only muttered.

* * *

"And it's smashingly wonderful." He gave her a soothing pat on her knee but then left it at that. "I've heard you ranting at the seagulls." he said. Her features turned angry for a second, then concerned again, but differently.

"Cheeky fleabags! I'm sorry if I woke you up."

"No, you haven't." he reassured her. "I couldn't sleep away the entire afternoon anyway, could I?"

"Do you have plans?" she playfully asked.

"A lot!" Tommy broadly grinned and the hint of lasciviousness in his voice, actually in his whole face, made Barbara hide her rosy cheeks behind the mug. "First thing on my schedule is lying here with you and enjoy the wonderful moment."

"That's a good plan." She took another sip. Their eyes still were locked but Tommy was sure Barbara did not recognise that she was smiling.

"You're radiating... I don't know..." he pensively said laying his hand onto her knee again and then let it slip further up to her thigh under her shorts. Absentminded he let his thumb caress her naked skin.

Eventually she put down the half empty mug and laid herself next to him. Her eyes went up into the sky.

"I'm happy." she murmured contented. "Very deeply. Very, very- Mmmh!"

Gently Tommy had pulled at her shoulder so she had to turn to face him. Now his lips closed hers with a soft kiss.

"Very, very what?" he quietly asked after a while.

"Satisfied." Although she was blushing Barbara grinned broadly.

"That's good." Tommy mirrored her grin. There was a hint of rosiness even on his face. "I feel similar to that."

"Will we go home tonight after dinner?" She said it with a bit of disappointment but his answer made it vanish.

"No. I've made sure we only have to get back to the office tomorrow around noon."

Barbara could not help but tease him. "How foresightful."

"It's your birthday. I know that date for years. Of course this time I've made sure you have no hurry today."

* * *

For a while they just looked at each other dwelling on wonderful thoughts. With her index finger Barbara pushed the cheeky lock of hair away from his forehead. Then she curled a lock around her finger behind his ear before she gently tickled his auricle. Tommy's heart beat fast. He enjoyed her caresses very much and would not want to disturb her by saying something. He did not even move.

"I have to admit that I'm a bit surprised about all this." Barbara broke the silence. "Even though we've done so much together recently I haven't seen it coming. At least I wouldn't have dared to think it would."

"Well, we've been dating, haven't we!"

"I didn't dare to call it dates, you know."

"I did." His eyes were serious.

"And have you always been confident that it would lead to... this?" Her face still was slightly rosy.

"Not really." Tommy admitted. "Sometimes I dreamed about it. Well, not exactly this but... well, I imagined a lot of different similar scenarios..." He gave her a grin. "Sometimes I knew you could never love me like this because I'm such a difficult person and all the stuff that... makes the difference between you and me. Sometimes I just had wanted to push you up against a wall in the office and kiss you senseless, no matter who would witness it."

"Oh..." she breathed. Sometimes she had wanted him to do just that.

"And sometimes I was contented that I have you in my life as my best friend."

Her grin widened. "I've always been more."

He knew what she was telling him. "You were!"

This time Barbara was the one who initiated a long and sensual kiss.

* * *

They kissed and caressed each other for what felt like hours. Barbara felt desire growing again but since they were lying on a blanket in the garden she would not allow it to grow deeper. She would not want to lose control out here so she slowly retreated from Tommy's body.

"We should get ready, shouldn't we?" she murmured.

"For dinner? Isn't it a tad too early? It must be about five, half past five." He did not let her off his arms yet. "We could..."

Tommy's face moved closer to hers again but instead of kissing her properly he only was able to nudge his nose against hers. Barbara had moved her head backwards and laughed about the cute touch but she had moved her head even further away.

"Hey!" Tommy placed a kiss onto her throat. He refused to let her off of his embrace.

"We could stroll around a bit beforehand." she suggested. "And _find_ a proper restaurant. Or do you know already where you want to take me?"

Tommy swallowed and tried hard to erase her surely unintended innuendo from his thoughts. "You're not letting up, are you?"

"No. Come!" Barbara had twisted herself free from his limbs and was already getting up. "Let's dress up."

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	14. Chapter 14

**A/N:** For those who understand: 14 = 4 and 5 ;-)

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"You want to dress up?" Tommy asked following her. "Oh, I see. You mean _that_ sort of restaurant. I always thought you'd prefer to have a simple dinner."

"What do you think?" Barbara laughed. She already was in the hallway. "It's my birthday! You said _you_ 'll pay. I want to be taken to the poshest restaurant in this village."

They climbed the stairs together. Barbara led the way, Tommy followed her watching her bottom cheeks with delight.

"I love your bum cheeks." he quietly admitted out of the blue.

"What?!" Barbara could not believe what she just had heard.

Tommy softly patted her behind and laughed but he did not repeat what he just had said.

"I'll take you wherever you want." He knew exactly how that sounded. He chuckled when he heard her snort a laugh and saw her nape blushing. They reached the landing of the first floor where he pulled her into a hug. "Although I always thought you'd love the simple restaurants."

He kissed her.

"Of course I do."

"And still..." Swaying her in his arms Tommy put a strand of hair behind her ear with a gentle gesture. Barbara smiled before he gave her another soft kiss. "...you want to dress up and have champagne and caviar?"

"Ah, bullshit!" She pulled his head down to her face and took another kiss from his lips. "Actually no. Beer and burgers would be fine."

They shared another kiss which was longer this time.

"As long as you pay the bill." she teased him.

"So you want posh beer and burgers?"

"With high-class crinkle-cut potato chips."

"Aha." he smiled amused before they kissed again. "And chocolate ice cream for dessert?"

"Sure. The second most delicious dessert in the world." Barbara breathed against his lips. She felt so light-hearted.

"And what's the most delicious one?" Tommy asked pressing himself against her so hard that she had to take a step backwards to keep balance. It made her snicker.

"You kn- mmmh!" His lips on hers had cut her short.

* * *

Because she had been about to say more Barbara's mouth had been open and so Tommy's tongue darted between her lips the moment they met. It was a hungry kiss he gave her but her reaction was not less wanting. She looped her arms around his neck holding him close. His arms were around her waist and he pushed his hands past the waistband of her shorts. When he found she had nothing on underneath he gave an approving grunt with his lips still on hers and his hands on her behinds.

It was clear that they would not go out soon because right at the moment there was all but a stroll around the village on their minds. And they surely were not about to get dressed up now - quite the opposite.

Their clothes landed on the floor.

* * *

After several hot moments against the door they were totally out of breath and quite exhausted.

"You're insatiable!" Tommy broadly grinned.

"I'm sorry." She was not.

"Don't be." He kissed her. "I rather like that."

"I have to admit that I've already wanted you on the blanket outside. Only there would have been too many ears." She nervously snickered.

Tommy grinned. "I wouldn't have cared. I've already wanted to make love out there, too."

* * *

For a while they stood in an embrace leaning against the door.

"I'm sorry, Barbara." Tommy suddenly apologised.

"For what?" A million scenarios flashed through her mind.

"Well, for this... Without thinking about..." He actually chewed on the insides of his cheek. Barbara's heart melted.

"Stop apologising." she breathed and let her head bump against the wood of the door again. She deeply inhaled. "I don't think I gave you the impression that I didn't want it like that, did I?"

"Mh, not really." He started smiling again.

"You've promised to take me wherever I want." This time it made him laugh out because _that_ innuendo definitely was intended. "I wanted it as much as you. Right here, exactly the way we did it. In that moment and not any second later." Barbara closed her eyes. "Sometimes it just has to happen indecently against a door and not somewhere appropriate, on the soft surface of a bed."

"You're so wise." he whispered into her neck and placed a kiss there.

She snorted amused. "And hungry."

"Yes, but we could as well go out a bit later, couldn't we?" Tommy murmured onto her skin. "I want to learn so much more. From you, with you, about you..."

"Where I'd love to eat, for example?" Barbara snickered opening her eyes.

He looked at her with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. "No. I was more referring to the sexual things that happen to us." he explained.

"Oh." She had not expected him to say it so bluntly.

"Come." Tommy said widely grinning. He gestured her away from the door and opened it. "I agree about having dinner some time soon but let's recover first. I'm rather done."

She grinned. "Well, that's no wonder, Sir. At your age- Yeeek!"

* * *

Putting his arms around her waist and grabbing her buttocks Tommy had lifted her up into his arms. Barbara had shrieked but she instantly had looped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck. Her wide shocked eyes made him laugh hard.

"I'll give you what for!" he mock-scolded her. "My age... Tsk!"

She joined his amusement and let herself be carried inside nibbling at his ear. Carefully he laid her down on his bed. Smiling he received the looks she gave him. To hide his joy Tommy dropped onto his bed belly first and pressing his face into his pillow.

"Um mmh mh mmmh um mmmh!"

"What?" It was not really cold but Barbara pulled his duvet up to her nose anyway. It simply smelled so wonderful of Tommy.

His face reappeared. "I think I need a rest!" he repeated. "But not for long. Before we have dinner, we should go to Boots."

"Hm? Boots? Why that?" she asked. Then something dawned on her. "Oh... that... You mean...?"

"Yes. Condoms." he replied. "I didn't bring any and we really should take care next time."

"We should." Barbara quickly calculated but came to the result that they were quite safe anyway. Her eyes did not leave his face though and so it was no wonder that she soon was distracted.

Tommy's hair was ruffled and his face looked red. His lips still looked kissed and Barbara knew it was her lips that had made him look like that. Her own face began to smile. The full impact of joyful realisation hit her. She loved him and he loved her. They had made love. They surely would repeat it. They were in love with each other. Happiness flooded through her and seemed to fill her entire body and mind.

"Hm?" he asked but she only shook her head.

"Nothing." she gently murmured.

* * *

With a sweet gesture Tommy put a strand of hair behind her ear. Their eyes were drowning and lost themselves.

"You'll never understand how much I am in love with you, Tommy." she whispered.

For a while he just looked at her thinking. "I love you too. I'm in love with you deeply. And I'll try to learn, Barbara. There's so much I don't know, so much we both don't know of each other. I'm looking forward to learn your secrets. I want to know your deepest wishes and needs and-"

Barbara had placed a finger on his lips but he only took her hand gently and placed a kiss on each of her fingertips.

"...and I want to fulfil them all." Tommy moved his face a bit closer to hers and kissed her. "And I don't only mean your physical wishes."

"Oh, I'm rather modest."

"That usually means someone is choking his emotions, that you suppress your desires. Usually in order to please others."

"Did it feel as if I was suppressing my desires?" Barbara laughed. Her eyes though stayed somewhat serious.

"No. But like I said..." Tommy moved closer again. "I didn't just mean physicality. Although I'm quite pleased with what I've made you d- Ouch!"

She had pinched his upper arm. He had wanted to playfully balance out her mood, making her comfortable in his bed and in his arms. It had worked. He was relieved to see her eyes shining so happy.

"I love you, Barbara." he simply stated. His eyes were lost in hers again and he did not do anything until she pulled his face to hers and kissed him.

It soon turned into a very lazy but intense kiss. They hugged and eventually broke the kiss with still closed eyes. A light snore several minutes later told her he had fallen asleep and for a while she let exhaustion rule over her brain too.

* * *

When she stirred she woke again. Her fingertips caressing his face slowly pulled him out of his half-sleep state and he re-opened his eyes.

"I never want to wake up again without that sight." he breathed after a while. Tommy was rewarded with a bright smile. His face turned serious. "I mean it."

Barbara's face frowned. "Mh." she simply said. His face displayed serious future plans and she would not want to discuss those in bed, and not at all on their first day together. If it was a first day and not just the only one.

As if he was reading her mind Tommy whispered again that he loved her. "And that won't change tomorrow."

As a reply Barbara just put the duvet over his naked body and snuggled into his chest. For many minutes Tommy and Barbara only caressed each other. Although they were naked there was no sexual aim in their caresses and they only lightly kissed but it was gorgeous and they both felt very contented.

They completely ignored their plans from earlier about having dinner. Their caresses continued while they eventually began to talk. Quietly they shared secret thoughts and revealed hidden feelings, harboured throughout the years, safely stored away behind layers of pretending and walls of defence. Lying hugging on his bed they had a long quiet conversation about their quirky relationship. They talked about their past and their shared past. They talked about the presence and without really deepening that part of their talk they both even were carefully letting their words scratch at a possible shared future. Although they were lying in bed naked it was a good and serious conversation. Barbara revealed what bothered her and Tommy told her about things he was afraid of. They even talked about ways how some of their concerns could be erased.

* * *

Their caresses never stopped and were part of their conversation. So slowly, while they talked, their bodies talked too. They took their time with everything. Unobtrusively their fingertips found new areas and produced reactions that were unknown until now. The couple leisurely kissed and talked and learned about each other. They talked about happy things and serious things, sad things and hilarious things that made them laugh, sob, chuckle, snicker and sigh a lot. With their hands and lips and fingers and legs and everything else they learned about their bodies and their soft and heavy reactions.

She felt that something was different this time. It was not as strong and needy anymore. It was not quick or hilarious. If she would have found words in that moment she would have said it was a heavenly built connection of their souls.

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	15. Chapter 15

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On Monday morning they got up quite early for what they had done yesterday and in the night. They had made love. They had surprised each other and they had learned things they never thought could be possible. They had lightheartedly talked and had had serious conversations. They had made love again and again and after their shared late night shower they had slept for hours but when Barbara had woken up in the middle of the night she had been glad that Tommy had made some toast with black pudding and cut some uncooked vegetables which, even though it had laid there for several hours, had been highly edible in that hungry moment. She had not even left the bed and when she had finished her meal and wiped away the bread crumbs she sleepily had spooned Tommy. Barbara had not been able to keep her hands from wandering across his body. She had thought he was asleep but he had not been at all. Eventually her bold fingers had reached a certain area and what she had found there had made her gasp and then Tommy quickly had turned to face her. He gently had reciprocated her gentle touches and had blessed her with lovely kisses and so it happened that they had got back to sleep only very much later.

She had had a broad and satisfied grin on her face when she had seen the time shortly before she had closed her eyes to sleep. It had been well after midnight, in fact it was closer to morning, and it was not her birthday anymore but her boss still was there with her. And how!

Fortunately Tommy had set the alarm before he had joined Barbara under the duvet earlier.

* * *

In the morning Barbara came down shortly after him. She entered the kitchen and immediately saw that Tommy already had made coffee. She happily grinned. He definitely knew how to satisfy her needs.

" 'mornin', Sir." she mumbled grabbing a mug. She raised her face to his and smiled.

Tommy bent down and gave her a kiss. "Good morning, Sergeant." he murmured winking his eyes that admired her naked legs under the hem of his own T-shirt. It was more than one size too big for her and she was barefoot. "You're not in the mood to get dressed yet?"

Yawning Barbara shook her head.

"Do you have plans?" He juicily grinned. He was not dressed properly either. He also was barefoot and in nothing but jeans. Her eyes gave his bare chest an approving and delighted look and one of her fingers gently caressed his skin.

"Most certainly not." Then she added a teasing "Well, maybe in the evening."

"Good." Contented and happy Tommy embraced her but instead of taking his kiss Barbara yawned again. "You're still so tired?" he tenderly asked. He knew what had made her so sleepy. He was suffering from the same wonderful exhaustion.

"And how!" Her flat hands now fully caressed his chest and finally he was able to steal another kiss before he turned to the fridge with a grin.

"No wonder." He quietly laughed. "But I have to admit that I'm a bit knackered too. Say, did you get up in the night to drink the orange juice with the toast?"

"Umm, no. Why?"

"Ah, I just thought there'd be another pack in the fridge." He took the milk instead and opened another cupboard to get the cereals.

* * *

Barbara was perched against the worktop just sipping at her coffee. She was a bit disappointed that their nice stay here in Kent would soon be ending. "When exactly do we have to be back in London?"

Tommy looked at his watch. They had plenty of time, even to be naughty again. "I've told Winston that I've brought you here for your birthday and that we'll be back at the office a bit after noon."

"Oh, blimey. You've told him?" She was genuinely shocked. How they should announce the new developments in their partnership at the office had not yet been the topic of their conversations. In fact it always had been excluded from them.

"Umm... well... not in detail." He displayed a juicy grin. Then he gave her cheek a soothing caress. "Don't worry, I've just sent a text message."

Barbara chewed on her lower lip. "What did he answer?"

"He only wrote 'stay a few days more. You both deserve it' and he's sent a thumbs up." Tommy chuckled. "He's sent another message with several thumbs up and about ten big grins. I was highly tempted to reply that he's so, so right with his hidden assumptions."

It made Barbara blanch. "Oh, that's embarrassing, Tommy!" she whispered.

"Not at all." he broadly grinned. "And to calm down your nerves: I didn't tell him that you and I... that we are a _we_ now." He gave her a small kiss and whispered into her ear that Nkata was a good detective and surely had come to his own conclusions.

"Oh, my..." she breathed.

They kissed again and continued to exchange caresses. Neither of them had the will-power to refrain from deepening the kiss. She had looped her arms around his waist and his hands were pushing up her shirt that reached down to her thighs like a very short dress. His fingers landed on naked skin.

Surprised Tommy moaned an approval onto her lips. He broke their connection but kept his hands on her bottom. "What are you wearing beneath?!" he asked delighted.

She was happy that the surprise obviously pleased him. "Just a pearl on a silver chain." she answered with a low voice.

His pupils dilated. "Mmmh... yes, indeed, you are a devil."

"No. My shorts simply are... well... dirty."

* * *

Pressing her hips against the worktop with a growing desire Tommy kissed her again and stopped her silly giggles about the cool surface on the skin of her naked bottom. The kiss turned desireful in seconds. When she hummed in delight he bit into her neck and groaned.

"I want to make love with you right here." he breathed against her skin but unfortunately his suggestion made Barbara return into reality. She pushed him away breathing heavily.

"No, Sir. We have to listen to reason now." She wriggled herself free from his embrace and raked a hand through her ruffled hair. "If we want to be at work around noon we'd better have breakfast now."

His second groan was full of annoyance but he actually agreed with her. When Barbara had filled two bowls with corn flakes Tommy brought them to the table in the dining area.

"Do you want to have your breakfast here or outside?" he asked over his shoulder. Then he froze confused. "Have _you_ left the patio doors wide open?"

"No." she answered curiously looking through the hatch. She suppressed a laugh then. "Well, actually I have no idea. You know, I was rather preoccupied and distracted yesterday. Plus I _really_ had intended to return. Maybe for a decent dinner?"

* * *

They met again in the kitchen when Tommy joined her near the toaster where she waited for the next slices to get burnt. They shared a juicy grin, knowing full well why they had not been down here again.

"Did you?" he asked. "Well, _I_ never really wanted to go out after you've asked me to come with you. Two or four toasts?"

"Twenty." She sounded desperate. "Missing dinner takes its toll."

"You're insatiable." Tommy chuckled.

"I'm afraid I'm not the only one. May I remind you of your words, your Naughtiness?"

"My words? I can't remember exactly." Leaning close Tommy's hand caressed her naked bottom again while he placed several small wet kisses on her neck. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, it was something with 'can't get enough' and 'all the time' and 'next time'..." She nuzzled into his shoulder to hide her grin.

"Next time? What was that exactly?"

Barbara shook her head. "I'm not going to repeat that, _Sir_."

He laughed and playfully slapped her bottom with a kitchen towel. "You have to, my precious. Because otherwise I'll be blaming _you_ if someone had come in here tonight and had stolen something."

"You're so mean." Barbara pouted and crossed her arms. "Besides, I don't think anyone in this backwater town would be- Tommy!"

"Say what I've told you." Tommy had looped a teatowel around her neck and brought her face very close to his. Again he was grinding her hips against the worktop with his own, gently trapping her with his body. Barbara was about to surrender. She dearly wanted him right now, no matter if they were in other people's kitchen or anywhere else. She wanted to make love with him instead of having breakfast.

"Oooh..." she sighed. Her own reaction made her blush again but then she inhaled and snaked her arms around his waist. Tommy could feel her grin when she answered onto his lips "You've said that my bottom cheeks-"

* * *

"Aaah, a very good morning, you two." A well known female voice coming from the open patio door made them suddenly dash apart.

Deborah had decided that she had witnessed enough from these silly lovebirds.

* * *

Deborah and Simon St James had returned to their Kentish cottage straight after he had finished the last necessary bits of his urgent task at work this very early morning. They had parked their car at the kerb, not bothering to drive it into the closed garage, got themselves some cool orange juice and directly went to the veranda with their books to relax until noon without a mobile phone or any other distraction.

Work might have cut their weekend but some lucky coincidence had offered them two additional children-free days they had wanted to spend in Kent. They had not expected the Detectives still to be here and since Tommy had driven his precious car into the garage to keep it out of reach from the shitty seagulls Deborah and Simon did not recognise immediately that they were not alone in their cottage.

They had dropped their bags in the door to the living room and then had been sitting outside completely quiet so Tommy and Barbara, coming into the kitchen through the other door, had not recognised them either.

Now surprise was high on both sides. The couple in the kitchen had jerked and turned to the voice of Deb coming from the veranda. Eventually Simon also had risen from his chair and joined his wife. Both were very smugly grinning towards Tommy and Barbara. They obviously had witnessed most of the previous conversation.

* * *

The new lovers were blushing to the roots of their hair. Tommy lopsidedly grinned full of guilt and Barbara had to clear her throat. She was deeply happy that the shirt she wore was so huge. Tommy fortunately still was holding the kitchen towel in his hands. It hid his joy.

"Is there something you'd like to tell us?" Simon asked winking with amused approval.

Tommy looked down to Barbara and grinned. "Well, I've said that her delicious butto- ouch!"

A hefty smack onto his upper arm had cut him short. "Shut up, Tommy!"

Deborah snorted a laugh seeing him melting under Barbara's reign.

"I've said that I love her." His voice had turned distinctively softer and his grin had turned into a smitten smile. It was mirrored in Barbara's face. "And from that moment on we've made lo-aah!"

With quite some force she had nudged her elbow into his ribcase. Only shrugging Tommy ignored her shocked looks and pulled Barbara into a hug. He closed her lips with a kiss that told its own tale. Barbara was melting too. Without shame they were gently kissing in front of their friends' eyes. They clearly understood what probably had happened here in the Kentish Cottage while they had been away in London.

"See?" Deborah turned to her husband pulling him away from the couple who had become oblivious of almost everything in an instant. "I've told you so."

* * *

...nine months later...

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In a white and light green hospital room Barbara Lynley inappropriately cursed her husband. She was sweating and full of pain and the quietly beeping machine next to her bed, linked to her finger with a cable, annoyed her beyond words.

"Thomas bloody Lynley!" she panted between two waves of contractions. "If I get anything other from you than a bouquet of flowers for my birthday this year I'm most certainly going to- aaaoowwh!" Only after several deep breaths she was able to continue. "...kill you."

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Reader!? A word in my office, please?

Dear readers,

please do me the favour and give me a little bit of your time. There's something I'd like to say.

There's an average of 100-150 visitors on each chapter and only 2-5 leave a comment, usually less the longer the story goes. There are about 3 followers/likers who never leave any word. I'm sad about all that. These 100-150 visitors can't be the 6-8 reviewers reading it again and again and they surely can't be search engine bots.

Don't get me wrong, my readers, I'm certainly not fishing for compliments. I love to write. It's fun to write here. I love the discussions, the help and the critics from a friend. I love to elaborate those little ideas that pop into my head every now and then. But, to be honest, I also love to read what others think about it. It even is an inspiration in itself sometimes.

What we, the writers, do here on FanFiction is of course our own joy. But we share it to entertain you too. It's free amusement for you and apart from that one single surprisingly successful _shady_ story nothing from here will ever pay our rent or buy us food. Of course not - hahaha! Nobody could seriously think that. But even though you don't have to buy these pieces of writing, even though you don't have to give anything for it you still _have the opportunity_ to give back _something_ in return. The little text box at the end of each chapter is like the charity tin at the entrance of an open exhibition or like the donation box on the village green where a concert takes place for free: You leave your two pennies if you like what you got or simply to honour all the work behind it.

It's easy.

Reviews here don't have to be epic. They can be just two words. Maybe you just write "Thank you" and it makes the reader happy. You don't even have to be logged in and you could leave your review anonymously. We "for free writers" really do appreciate your reviews and of course your fair critics. Think about it. And maybe next time after reading one of our stories here you'll find a little extra time and leave some words for us. All writers appreciate it.

Thank you very much.

Tess.

P.S.: I'd like to say a _huge thank you_ to all those who regularly leave a comment or write a PM and I give you all a big hug.

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